Lost Storms: Stormy's Forgotten Past
by DigiExpert
Summary: How Stormy came to Rainbow Land was forgotten long ago by almost all the inhabitants of Rainbow Land. How did Stormy end up here? More importantly, what's her connection to Murky and why does she hate him so?
1. Prologue

**This is the beginning to my latest longshot in the Rainbow Brite fandom. I currently have 4 chapters written in addition to the prologue, and anyone who knows my writing knows that my chapters are definitely much longer than this. I'm not sure why I felt the need to do a prologue, but it seemed to fit. I don't know what the update schedule for this story is going to be yet. Like I said, I have 4 chapters done in addition to this. I may do once a week or once every two weeks. I like keeping a backlog going so we'll see how it goes. I hope you enjoy this story, as I'm sure there are others who wonder just how Stormy came to live in Rainbow Land!**

**Prologue**

Most people know me as the one who makes storms, the girl who loves the rain and snow and everything in between. Weather's my specialty, and I can whip up a thunderstorm like you've never seen before. I make my home in the clouds, and prefer thunderclouds most of all. My second home is in the Color Castle, down in the lower levels. I keep my room dark there, as it reminds me of the storms I create. It reminds me of other things too, things that happened so long ago that they've been forgotten by almost everyone. My story is a special story, one that I don't tell to just anyone. If you were to ask a sprite, or a Color Kid, they wouldn't be able to tell you how I came to Rainbow Land anymore. They used to remember, but they forgot. I could never forget something so terrible.

My story's not meant to be better than anyone else's. Everyone knows how Rainbow came to Rainbow Land. They all know how she found Twink and together they found Starlite. Everyone knows that Rainbow found that baby along the No Return River and sought shelter in a cave, where she found the Color Belt. Each Color Kid remembers fondly how Rainbow rescued them. They don't remember much of the story after that. I do. I remember how Rainbow fought the Evil One and eventually triumphed over evil, restoring Rainbow Land to its former glory and beauty. I wasn't here on that day. Neither was Tickled Pink or Moonglo. We all came to Rainbow Land in different ways.

I guess it's kinda fuzzy for me. I remember a woman who wore emerald green and had hair like my own. I called her my mama, but I don't know what that means anymore. I see her in my mind sometimes, but I don't know who she is or why she is important to me. I think I did at one time. It was so long ago that I came to Rainbow Land. I don't think it was something worth remembering. I wish I could. Things might make more sense to me if I knew what my past was supposed to be like. It's been over 700 years and I know nothing and I can't remember anything.

I know I'm not supposed to be here. I know that I came form somewhere else and was taken away. Once I was here, storms were the one thing that comforted me. I couldn't control my storms at first, but I could make them when I was angry or upset. They were comforting to me and they reminded me of home. I grew up, but the storms were always there, and they still are. There are times I can't sleep at nights, and I'll create a storm, my own little storm, just so that I can hear the thunder and lightning, hear the pounding rain and feel them as though each were a part of me.

When I first came here, I never knew who Rainbow Brite was. I only knew her by name. I began to hate the girl that was called Rainbow Brite. I was supposed to live up to everything she was, but in a different light. I didn't know what was happening at the time, but I do now. For years I was raised to be someone I could not be and never would be. At the time, I loved where I was, once I got used to things. I was even given Skydancer because of this. I mean, now it seems so far away and sometimes it's like a bad dream. I eventually broke free. I even asked Rainbow to come here. It was better than where I was, but boy did it feel embarrassing to have to ask Rainbow of all people.

To this day, Rainbow still remembers my past. She remembers lots of pleasant things, but very few bad memories. She remembers the way Rainbow Land was. She even remembers that her name used to be Wisp. She remembers the first time the Monstromurk attacked and then his attack during his second coming. And she remembers how I came to live here. I wish she wouldn't. Sometimes I'm afraid she'll use it against me. It does seem silly, but I have my reasons. I don't trust very easily. After being around Rainbow for all these years, I can trust her…mostly. If she ever used my past against me, I'd fight back.

My past is the one that everyone's forgotten, and that I've forgotten the beginning to as well. I know I ended up with Murky, but how I can't remember. Sure, it seems strange, but at one time I was indeed on Murky's side...


	2. Snatched Away

**And so it begins. I know the prologue was super short and not my usual length, but I promise that this story makes up for it. I'm currently working on chapter 5, and will finish it as soon as I finish my 3rd short story for "Thunder and Stars". I tried my best with this and have many ideas for this story. If there's something you'd like to see intertwined into the story as I post more chapters, let me know. I'm more than happy to consider any serious ideas and do tend to user reader ideas in my stories. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.**

**Chapter 1 Snatched Away  
**

She stood upon the auction block, looking out over the massive crowd that had formed. She was only six years old, a mere child that had been snatched up by slave traders. She had strayed from her mother's side during market day and been grabbed by strange hands near the toy stall. She didn't remember much of anything beyond that; one of her capturers had put a smelly rag over her mouth. Everything had gone black after that. Fearfully she looked out over the crowd that had gathered; dozens of men and women stood on the ground below, shouting at each other, calling out prices. She covered her ears with her hands, trying not to listen to it all. She tried to think back to that fateful day, remember the smile upon her mother's face.

_~ Flashback ~_

"Don't go too far ahead of me, Stormy. You know that today is crowded," warned her mother, a tall, lavender haired woman. She wore a bright peppermint green dress that came to her knees, but was slit up the sides. A pair of black leather boots that came up to her knees completed the outfit. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid that fell below her waist. Around her neck was a silver pendant, one of a lightning bolt. It had been passed down in her family for generations, symbolizing the control the wearer had over the weather, as did the namesake bestowed upon the wearer at birth. Stormy's mother was known as Skye, and was a well respected, well known woman.

"I won't, mama!" called Stormy from in front of her. Stormy had rarely been taken to market days, as her mother wanted to keep her safe from the child slave traders that roamed the marketplace, searching for a child that had strayed from its mother. She wore an outfit similar to her mother's- bright peppermint green dress with the slits up the side, black boots, and a silver pendant around her neck, a smaller version of the lightning bolt that her mother wore. Her hair had been pulled into a ponytail and held in place by a yellow lightning bolt clip. Part of her hair had been braided into a small braid and hung near the right side of her face. Her bright green eyes searched the stalls, looking at all the interesting trinkets and foods being sold.

Stormy forgot all about her mother's warning as she skipped from booth to booth, finally stopping at one where there were tiny handmade dolls being sold. Stormy looked over the multi-colored dolls in bright shiny outfits. She picked one up and fingered the fabric. Before she could call to her mother to look at the toy, a pair of rough hands covered her mouth and picked her up.

"Now, now, little Belle, that's not for you to buy today. Daddy will get you something else," said a rough voice. Stormy didn't know that this was directed at the shopkeeper.

_Daddy? That's not my daddy_ thought Stormy frantically, trying to squirm away. However, the grip the stranger had on her was strong, and she couldn't break free. _Where's mama? Mama will take care of this._

The next thing she knew, Stormy was being rushed past the many stalls. She lost track of the twists and turns the stranger took. Her eyes frantically kept searching the crowd for the tall lavender haired woman that she called her mama, but she couldn't see her. She couldn't see much of anything; the man was moving too fast for her to recognize anything. Eventually, they ended up in a dark alley on the outskirts of the marketplace. Stormy was placed on the ground and she frantically searched for a way past the man, running as fast as her little legs could carry her. She looked back, and didn't watch where she was running. She ran into something hard and fell back onto the ground. Stormy looked up, into the face of another stranger, this one holding a piece of cloth in hand. "C'mere girly… this won't hurt a bit…" he cackled as he put the rag over her nose and mouth.

Suddenly, Stormy felt woozy and her body began to sway back and forth. She slumped forward, unconscious. The larger of the two men picked up the lavender haired girl and shoved her into a brown sack. "Looks like an easy catch, Rad," he commented. He wore a simple trader's outfit – a tan tunic with black pants and dark brown boots.

Rad nodded his head in agreement. He was a lanky fellow, and wore the same trader's outfit as his companion. A commotion was starting up in the marketplace. Rad looked out of the alley, only to see a lavender haired woman frantically calling for her lost child. "And that looks like the mother. Let's move it, Volkov!" They both took off down the alley, the opposite of the direction of the marketplace. They made their way to their ship, just as distant peels of thunder could be heard. They tossed the sack to the back of the ship and took off without another thought. They'd accomplished their goal for that day.

_~ End Flashback ~_

Stormy had no idea how long it'd been since she'd been taken. They taken her necklace from her though. Everyone knew that the necklace identified her family. The traders had been quite happy when they'd discovered this gem on her and had danced about. Stormy had no idea that this meant they would be able to sell her for a higher price in the marketplace than the average child slave. Word would be passed along the black market grapevine, a hush-hush invitation that wouldn't draw attention.

For days, the strange men had provoked her anger. They'd tugged at her hair, smacked her arms, anything that would elicit a response from her and make her angry enough to call upon her powers. Unlike her mother, Stormy's powers were uncontrollable and once she became angry, she would call upon the weather to emote her anger, creating a large storm that couldn't be controlled for hours. Once it was started, Stormy did not know how to stop it, and the storm would have to simply die out on its own.

She knew that she was being sold today. This was the day the men were excited for. She hoped that her mama would show up and fix everything. She missed her mama very much and wished she'd listened. If she'd have listened, she might not be in this mess. A lone tear slipped down her cheek and she sniffled. She wasn't paying attention to the auction that was going on in front of her. She didn't hear the excited cries of money amounts, didn't hear the auctioneer talking about her as if she were some sort of animal being sold in a marketplace. She stood there, watching the crowd, looking for the familiar face that would take her home. She felt herself being poked and prodded, her hair being pulled in all directions. Her anger built, and a storm began to brew. As soon as the storm began to form, the poking and prodding stopped. The storm began to die down, but the demonstration had been successful. More money amounts were called out, hands greedily shot into the air to take a chance at bidding on this girl, the one being billed as a secret weapon to topple a nation by manipulating the weather to her will. No one cared that she had been taken from her home. No one cared that she cried during the auction. Each man and woman wanted a chance at the girl who could help them further their cause.

Stormy knew this wasn't how she wanted to use her powers. Before she'd been taken, her mother had been giving her basic lessons on learning to control her powers and her temper. She'd never seen such a temper in a child when provoked. It was all the more reason to teach her daughter proper control at an early age before things got out of hand.

_~ Flashback ~_

Stormy sat beneath the large green tree outside her family home. Her mother stood not too far off, meditating. Stormy paid no attention to her mother and was instead crushing the tiny bugs that crawled upon the tree trunk with a stick. She was bored. Her mother had said she would teach her how to use her powers, but all she'd done so far was stand like a statue and make strange sounds.

"Stormy! Don't do that to the ants!"

"Why not? There's plenty of them," retorted Stormy as she pushed her stick against yet another ant, creating another black speck on the tree bark.

"They're living creatures too, Stormy. We don't take away anyone's life on purpose, even if they are tiny bugs," explained her mother.

"They aren't useful. They're annoying. And they get in the food. You said you didn't like them yesterday anyway," replied Stormy, arms crossed. She gave her mother a look, the sort of look any child would give a parent in defiance because they feel they are right and the parent is wrong.

"All living things have their place, Stormy. Just as you and I do. You and I are given a gift that's special and has been in our family for generations. The women can either use the gift wisely, or foolishly. We can bring the rains that can help fight droughts or we can bring the rains that would flood the land." She picked up her only daughter, and kissed her forehead. Stormy squirmed to escape the kiss, but couldn't slip away. Skye set her daughter down.

"I wanna make it rain, mama, really hard too," stated Stormy, pointing to the sky.

"We don't use our powers for evil, Stormy. However, before you can do anything, you have to learn to control your powers. If you can't control your powers, you won't be able to control the storms you create."

"Why's that bad?" asked Stormy.

"If you can't control your powers, you can't control what you make. You won't be able to stop them or slow them down. You'll have to let them stop on their own, and that could take awhile, especially if you make a really big storm."

"It'd be really neat though!" answered Stormy, not paying attention to her mother's words in the least.

Skye sighed. She knew Stormy would not listen to her logic, not at her age. "All right, Stormy. Let's start with an easy exercise."

Stormy's ears perked up. Finally. She'd get to do something fun instead of standing around doing nothing. "What?" she asked eagerly.

"We'll work on pulling the clouds toward you. Watch me first." Skye demonstrated, holding out her hand, palm facing to the sky. She began making a "come hither" motion, and Stormy watched as the nearby puffy white clouds came closer to her mother, stopping just above her head. Stormy glanced wide-eyed above her. "Now, here's what you need to do Stormy." Skye took Stormy's right hand in her own, and turned her palm upward. "Hold your palm up to the sky. Then you make a "come here" motion with your fingers." Skye demonstrated the motion with Stormy's fingers by bending them inward.

"I wanna try by myself now," Stormy replied stubbornly. She pulled her hand away from her mother's and tried to recreate the same motions. She held her palm up toward the sky. With pursed lips, she began to move her fingers in the same come hither motion that her mother had used, but the clouds wouldn't budge. "What gives?!" she exclaimed.

Skye tried to hide the chuckle that wanted to cross her lips. "You have to want the clouds to come to you. Use your heart and mind, Stormy."

Stormy tried again, but with no success. "I want them to come to me and they aren't coming, mama!"

"You're trying too hard, Stormy. You have to want it in both heart and mind. It's up to you to figure out what that means."

"It's too hard. I can't do it," shouted Stormy after another unsuccessful try. She crossed her arms across her chest and began to pout.

Her mother merely smiled at her. "It takes time, Stormy. It took me weeks to learn how to do this when I was your age. I thought it was too hard too, but one day it just came to me and I knew what to do."

"I wanna do it now!" replied Stormy in a loud voice.

"You will in time. Don't be in such a rush. We have all the time in the world to work on your training. You'll grow up to follow in your mama's footsteps, you wait and see." Skye smiled gently at her fuming daughter. Stormy had her father's personality. Her father wasn't often around, but to Skye it was as if he never left. Stormy always took his place, the same stubbornness and quick temper. Stormy could grow up to be a very dangerous weapon if she didn't learn to control her powers and only let them be fueled by her anger. Skye was willing to train Stormy properly, with the hopes of calming her temper as she grew older.

Stormy plopped onto the ground, arms still crossed. "I wanna do it now," she stated crossly.

Skye tapped her chin. "You know, I think there are still some of your favorite cookies in the kitchen. Why don't we go see?" This was always a foolproof way to instantly calm Stormy's nerves.

Quickly, Stormy leapt to her feet. "Really? I thought they were all gone?"

"Nope. I found two more left this morning. One for you and one for me. Let's go enjoy a little snack for all your hard work today," She took Stormy's hand and together the two of them walked hand in hand back into their home.

_~ End Flashback ~_

Stormy wished that she were back at home now. She closed her eyes, wishing she were back outside with her mama. She wouldn't even squash the ants this time. She'd sit beneath the tree and watch her mama stand like a statue. She'd practice harder with her powers. She knew she still couldn't even pull the clouds like she was supposed to. She hadn't really practiced as she should have. _I promise that if I can just go back home, I'll never squash the ants again. I'll be good and do what mama says_.

While Stormy was busy wishing for a miracle, the auctioneer was busily calling off prices, and the bidding war continued on, still going higher and higher. Finally, the auctioneer called a final price, the highest to be offered yet. No one called out to match the price, and the auctioneer began the count down before making the bid final. "Sold! To bidder 697!" cried the auctioneer. He continued speaking, but Stormy didn't hear any words he said after "697". She looked out at the crowd, wondering who would take her next. She didn't have too long to wait. Bidder 697 was making his way toward the stage. In this case, it was two somebodies.

Stormy looked away as the short, pale green man in grey looked her over. He smelled funny and only grinned evilly at her. Beside him stood a tall fluffy monster, who wore red Converse shoes and had a long floppy nose. These were the people she was to go live with. Her mama had not come to save her. She kept hoping that her mama would come find her. There was still a tiny bit of hope in her heart that she'd still be rescued.

"Yes, she'll be perfect," called the man as he paid the auctioneer and looked at her once again. "Yes, brat, you'll be the perfect weapon to destroy Rainbow Brite. With you, I'll be able to take over Rainbow Land once again!"

Stormy had no idea what a "Rainbow Brite" was or where "Rainbow Land" was. She only wanted to go home. "My mama will find me. She'll take me back home.

The strange man cackled in delight. "No, no I don't think so. She won't be able to find you in Rainbow Land."

"Murky, how will we get Rainbow with her. She's so little," commented the big furry monster.

"Don't worry about that now, Lurky," replied the man now identified as Murky. "You'll see, you'll see."

**Let me know what you think, especially with the description of Stormy's mother. I really tried hard to get her just right, even though I was going from absolutely nothing. I had a few people read over her character and they seemed to really enjoy her so this was the final version. I'm interested to know what you think though!**


	3. Sad Storms

**I finished chapter 5 at school today so I figured I'd upload the next chapter on here. Kinda strange to say that I finished the chapter in school...reminds me of my high school days. Now I feel old... sheesh. Anyway, enjoy :) Oh! If you have any ideas that you wanna see, let me know. I'm always up for some new ideas!**

**Chapter 2 Sad Storms  
**

Stormy found herself being led through the crowd, but she looked down at the ground, to avoid eye contact. The big, furry monster kept a firm grip on her to keep others from snatching her away. She had no idea where they were going or how long it would take. Then she remembered what Murky had said. They were going to Rainbow Land, whatever that place was. Stormy had never heard of it, and wasn't sure. She pictured a place that was all the colors of the rainbow, and wondered how that went with him. It didn't make much sense. Stormy let herself be carried onto a small, patched up space ship. She was placed in the back with Lurky the monster, while Murky drove up front.

Curling her knees to her chest, Stormy hid her face. She wanted to go _home_. She didn't want to do whatever Murky wanted her to. She didn't want to go to someplace called Rainbow Land or see whoever this "Rainbow Brite" was. She wanted to cry, but didn't have the energy to shed many tears. She'd cried so much over the past few days that she felt dried out and exhausted. Instead, she just sat quietly in the back of the ship, as far away from Lurky and Murky as she could get. She drifted into an uneasy sleep, tired from standing so many hours at the auction, and from the sleepless nights she'd had prior.

Lurky peered at the young child, blinking his eyes. "Duh, I think she's sleeping, Murky."

"I don't care what she's doing. We've got to get back to Rainbow Land before the sun comes up! Rainbow mustn't see us come back. I can't have her thinking we're up to no good!" retorted Murky, his eyes roaming over the console. "But of course, we are!" he cackled to himself. He wasn't quite sure where he should be heading next. He looked at the map in his hand, but all it did was confuse him more. He turned it to the right, trying to figure out which way was the right way to read it. He turned it yet again, but that didn't appear to be working well either. Murky slammed his hands on the console. "Work you darn thing!" he cried.

A series of beeps sounded and a red light began flashing above Murky's head. "Oh no…what was that light for?" he wondered to himself.

"Auto-pilot initiated," confirmed a computer voice from above. "Coordinates point to sector three, destination Rainbow Land."

Murky grinned smugly. "Ah, right. That's what that light was for." He settled back into his seat for an easy trip back home. He glanced back at the young child he'd bought at the auction, remembering the tip-off he'd received from some communication meant for the Evil One. He'd decided to see what this child was good for. After all, he did need a good weapon against Rainbow. At first, the trip had seemed like a bust after he'd seen her crying on stage. He didn't need some sniveling crybaby. He needed a weapon. Then of course, he saw the storm generated just by a few annoying pokes and prods. If that was the sort of storm she could create with very little effort, then the storms she could create with training would be unstoppable. He'd use her storms to destroy Rainbow Land, flooding the land and Color Mines. It would be an ideal plan, but one that would take many years to execute. A proper training for her would be key.

Stormy was awoken by a series of bumps and thuds that jolted her around on the floor. At first, she couldn't remember where she was, but one look at her surroundings and at Lurky the monster told her she wasn't dreaming and that she wasn't safe at home. She was afraid, afraid the ship would crash and afraid of what was to come. The ship shuddered to a halt and Stormy rose to gain her bearings. Before she could go one step, she was lifted off the ground by Lurky. "Take her to her new room," sneered Murky.

"Gotcha," replied Lurky as he bumbled off of the ship, Stormy in tow under his arm.

Her first glance at her new surroundings and home left a lump in her throat. Smelly gases rose from large holes and pits. The sky was dark and grey, filled with lightning. The storm that seemed to go on forever comforted Stormy, as her body identified such a storm as home, but one look at the cave that Lurky was heading toward washed away any good feelings. It looked like a miserable, uncomfortable place to be. She missed home and she knew she'd never see it again. Instead, she'd be stuck here the rest of her life. Stormy had no idea that her thoughts were triggered by the nasty gloom of the Pits, and not something she truly felt. As a young child, it was harder for her to resist the emotion inducing atmosphere. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to avoid seeing everything that lay before her.

Lurky plopped her down onto the hard stone floor of the room she would be in. Stormy shuddered involuntarily as the cold stone touched her backside. She opened her eyes, and tried to adjust to the darkened light. She looked around the room, noticing only a bed and a small table. There was nothing else, just those very basic items. Stormy stood and walked the length of the room, wondering what was going to happen to her. The door creaked open and Lurky peeked inside. "Murky said you were to wear these," he informed her, "and to give me your other clothes." In his large hands were a small grey plain dress and a pair of slip-on black shoes. Tears welled up in Stormy's eyes as he placed the clothes on the floor and closed the door once more.

She didn't want to wear those things. They looked ugly. She'd rather wear her pretty green dress, the same that her mother wore. Stormy kicked at the pile of clothes, sending the dress shuffling across the floor.

"Are ya finished?" called Lurky's voice from behind the door. "Murky wants your stuff."

Stormy's temper was brewing and she was angry. How dare they try to take her stuff from her? She'd already lost her pendant her mother had given her when she was a baby. Now they wanted her dress and boots too. She stomped her foot onto the ground. It felt so good that she did it again. "I don't want to!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. There was no answer from behind the door. She yelled it again. "I don't want to!" Still, there was no answer. Satisfied, she kicked at the ugly dress one last time. She grinned as she heard a loud thunder crack. A storm was starting up, and from what she could hear, it was going to be a big one.

What Stormy didn't know was that she had created that storm with her angry outburst. This time there was no one to tell her that she needed to calm down, that she risked making the storm worse. There was no one to comfort or console her nerves. So she had no idea that she had created this home away from home reminder. Stormy clambered onto the bed and sat cross-legged, listen to the storm and its steady rhythm. Her eyes closed, she focused and dreamed of home and her mama.

Lurky burst into Murky's lair unannounced, a common thing for him to do. "Murky, she won't wear them!" he exclaimed.

"Quiet!" hissed Murky. His hands tinkered with various potion bottles that held different amounts of black liquid in them. He reached for one across the table and poured it into a large beaker, mixing it with whatever had been in there before. He gently shook it before adding yet a third bottle to the mix. Finally he poured a tiny amount of the mixture into a small glass. "Add this to her drink tonight."

"What'll it do?" asked Lurky.

"It'll put her under my control so she won't be so defiant, bird brain," retorted Murky.

Lurky took the glass from him. "What if she won't drink it?"

"She'll drink it or else!" he yelled. "Now take that plate over there and give her it to eat." He pointed to a plate on another table that held some short of fish and bread. Lurky picked it up and began to carry it to Stormy's room.

Lurky found the young girl sitting on the bed, eyes closed. "I brought ya some dinner," he called cheerfully.

Stormy took one look at the meal and turned her head away. "I don't want it. I'm not hungry," she stated coldly.

"Aww, but you wanna eat. It's good! Murky made it for ya," he said happily, a big grin on his face.

"What about a glass of…uh…juice?" he lied, rather lamely. Stormy didn't catch his falter though.

"No," she stated.

"Pleeease? It's really good!" he continued, sure that anything Murky had made would be tasty. He held the glass out to her.

Just to get rid of him, Stormy took the glass and gulped it down, making a face. It wasn't very good at all and tasted terrible. She felt sick to her stomach after drinking it, but it stayed down. Lurky grinned, pleased. He didn't really notice the sick look on Stormy's face as he walked from the room, taking the dinner plate with him. "See you later!"

The gloom potion worked its way into Stormy's system and soon the effects started to take over, little by little. Peering over the edge of the bed, Stormy noticed the dull grey dress she'd kicked aside early. _Maybe it wouldn't be so bad…what's the point?_ she thought to herself as she placed her feet on the floor and retrieved the dress and slip-on shoes. She slipped out of her green dress and the leather boots, trading them in for the shabby clothing. Leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor, she climbed back onto the bed. She could still hear the storm she'd created raging outside and as she laid her head down on the pillow, she wept softly, hopelessness enveloping her body and mind.

Lurky had returned to Murky's main laboratory and was quite pleased with himself. "I got her to drink it, Murky!" he called.

"Good! We'll see how that affects her. I don't know how much I'll need to use on her. I have to figure out the right amo-."

"She didn't eat though," interjected Lurky. "She said she wasn't hungry."

"You bozo brain! I don't care if she ate or not! She'll eat whenever she's ready. I _do_ care that she drank the gloom potion! It's the key to my control over her."

"What do we do with her?"

"I'm going to train her. She'll be my secret weapon against Rainbow. Those storms of hers will work wonders for me and for Rainbow Land." Murky fooled with some other containers he kept stored on his shelves, checking what was in each bottle.

Lurky scratched his head. "All right then!" he called.

"Go find something to do with yourself," instructed Murky, "and don't bother me again tonight!"

Lurky ambled out of the room and headed to his own room. Murky watched him leave and then turned back to his work. He knew that it would take years and years to accomplish what he wanted. He wanted this brat to be perfectly trained and to listen to his every command. She would never hesitate to act on an attack or care about that Rainbow Brite. Rainbow Brite may have taken away his gloomy world, but she would not last after he was finished with her. Or, in this case, that brat… Stormy was finished with her.

Visions of large storms danced in his head. He could just imagine her creating a flood of rain and destructive lightning with the mere flick of her hand. The glorious Color Castle would be flooded, and that would mean the Color Kids couldn't spread color to the rest of the world. Rainbow Brite would have to rely on her own powers to do so. It'd wear her down and then she'd be easy to take the Color Belt from. It'd be a grand day once he'd trained this new weapon to follow all his orders and to hate Rainbow as much as he did. He'd give Rainbow her chance at thinking that she would rule the land forever… then he'd spoil her parade with a little rain. Or rather, a large storm of epic proportions… the thought made him smile and cackle with glee.

He could have cared less that within his castle, a young girl was crying the tears she'd thought were no more or of how the young girl wept for her mama and her home, wishing she had followed her mama's rules that day in the market. Tears stained the pillow as she wished she could have another chance, or that all of this was some bad dream. The gloom potion affected her enough to make her do as Murky wanted, but she cried heavily still, a lost child in a brand new world that seemed uncertain and unfriendly. She had no idea of the expectations that were put onto her immediately, or that she was labeled as nothing more than a weapon. No one was going to care how she felt, or even know of her existence for a time to come, save for Murky and Lurky.

Perhaps if someone knew what had happened to her, things might be different. She might have been able to return home to her mama in the end, and live her life as she had always meant to be. If some other person knew what Murky and Lurky were up to, then maybe she would have a chance. No one knew though, and so Stormy cried and cried, until she cried herself into an uneasy sleep yet again. Her tears dried upon her face, but they did not stop the storm from raging outside. What had begun as a rough thunderstorm had lightened, but it still seemed quite strange to those who saw it.

As evening became nighttime, a young girl was watching the storm brew from her window ledge. She had sat there for a few hours, just thinking on things that had occurred and everything she'd accomplished since taking over Rainbow Land as its rightful protector. She glanced thoughtfully up at the sky as the rain fell. Something about this storm intrigued her, and then she realized suddenly why. "Twink, do you know why this storm is different?" she asked inquisitively.

Her faithful sprite looked up at her, confused by the question. He had been sitting beside her, lost in thoughts of his own. Her question seemed rather strange to him. "No, Rainbow. Why?" he asked.

"Well, we've had all kinds of rain storms in Rainbow Land over the years, but we've never had a thunderstorm. The only thunder and lightning occurs over the Pits, but never here."

"You think Murky's up to no good?" asked Twink, wide-eyed.

Rainbow tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know, Twink. I can't put my finger on it, but something's different about this storm."

"What do you mean?" he asked, more confused than ever. "It's just a rainstorm with thunder and lightning this time."

Rainbow looked back out the window, up at the clouds and the rain that poured from them. She frowned and then spoke. "I just…I can feel it…" she whispered softly. "It seems… like a sad storm. Like if someone was to cry and the rain was their tears."

"Are you sure?" asked Twink. He wasn't going to question the one he looked up to and followed, but it did seem strange. "A storm with feelings sounds funny."

"I know, Twink. I don't know why, but it just seems that way." Rainbow continued to watch the storm, a thoughtful look plastered on her face. She had no idea why she had this strange feeling about a storm or why a thunderstorm was falling over Rainbow Land for the first time that she could ever remember. Years later, Rainbow would look remember back to this night and know all the answers to her questions, but for now, she was unsure and uncertain, hoping that Murky wasn't up to no good yet again.


	4. First Lesson

**Chapter 6 got finished tonight so I decided to update with chapter 3 here. I keep forgetting that I have a 3 chapter gap here. School's kept me quite busy, even though school is where most of chapter 6 was also written. Some days I just don't have the energy to write after a long school day, but I try to do so when I can. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and look forward to the rest of the story :)**

**Chapter 3 First Lesson**

Days slowly passed and turned into weeks. Stormy had no idea what was going on from day to day and she couldn't keep track of how many days had passed. She barely knew how to count, let alone know how to mark the days out. She knew she would wake up and go to bed when she felt tired. The sky in the Pits never changed so she never knew when it was daytime and when it was nighttime. The only thing that clued her in was the activity by Murky and Lurky. She knew that when they were awake, it was day and when they disappeared it was nighttime. What she didn't know was that some nights after she'd fallen asleep, they snuck off to Rainbow Land to act out one of their plots, only to return by morning, foiled in their tracks.

Murky had no uses for Stormy for awhile. He wanted to get the right type of gloom cloud variant perfected. The first one he'd used controlled her, but its side effect was that it knocked her out for hours. He'd tried a few variants after that first one, but they never seemed to work right. They either exerted too much control, not enough control, or they had bad side effects, such as putting her to sleep or creating anxiety to the point where she was always crying. So many variants, but never the right one!

Today marked a month since he'd bought the child and still he'd not been able to find the right variant to use. He was working in his laboratory, frustrated at such slow progress. This was not helping him to get any closer to his goal of taking over Rainbow Land and destroying Rainbow Brite for good. He began to mix various bottles of greys and blacks, trying yet another variant. He looked at the combined result, another inky black mixture. He made the final notes in a notebook about the current concoction and then closed it. He could only hope this was the last time he'd make such an entry in the notebook.

"Lurky!" he called, already impatient.

His large furry assistant bumbled into the room. "Yes, Murky?"

Murky added a final small bottle, which contained a dark purple juice from a berry that grew widely in Rainbow Land. "Give this to the brat and make sure she drinks it, all of it."

Lurky took the glass off the table and took a whiff of it. "It smells funny, Murky."

"Of course it does! Just take it to her and don't tell her that." Murky pointed toward the door and Lurky quickly left the room.

Stormy looked up from her corner spot on the cold, stone floor. She felt tired and exhausted and didn't want to do much of anything. She couldn't remember why she had chosen to sit here instead of on her bed. She couldn't seem to remember the day before either. Everything seemed so fuzzy when she tried to recall what had happened. There was… something. As the big furry monster walked toward her with something in hand, she tried to remember his name, but couldn't. Her body didn't react in fear, so she guessed he was friendly. He offered her the glass he held in his hand.

"Murky wants you to drink this up," he called cheerfully.

Stormy hesitantly took the glass and looked at it. She could smell the drink, a mix of something fruity with something bad. It didn't smell good. She lifted it to her mouth and tilted it upward, a tiny bit of the liquid slipping in. At first, it tasted sweet, like something she remembered drinking before, but then a taste that she couldn't describe crept onto her taste buds. It was horrible, too horrible to even think about. She was about to pull the glass away, but a hand reached out and tilted it upward, forcing the rest of the liquid into her mouth and to spill from the sides. She could do nothing but swallow and then quickly pull away, the dark liquid still dribbling down her chin.

"Look at my clothes!" she yelled, angry that her dress was now wet with the liquid that she didn't swallow. It felt itchy and uncomfortable.

Lurky looked at her, puzzled. "But you were to drink the juice, and I made sure of that. Murky wanted you too," he nodded in agreement with himself.

Stormy turned away from him and wouldn't look at him. Her tiny fingers smoothed her dress; you really couldn't tell by looking at it that something had soiled it. It was too grey and dirty to show any new dirt. She tried to recall something she'd worn that wasn't dirty, but the memory was slippery; she couldn't quite get ahold of it. She faced the wall, staring blankly at it. Why couldn't she remember anything?

It was a few days later when Murky was satisfied enough to finally begin training Stormy. His most recent concoction a few days ago had worked perfectly. The brat kept her wits about her with no side effects, but did as she was told. He could make her do as he pleased. She had fetched various items for him and followed commands to relocate to various rooms without question. Now it was time to see what she could do.

The first thing Murky needed to do was get her used to the darkness, the pitch blackness of a colorless world. To return to the days of a dark gloominess from back when the King of Shadows ruled over everything would be truly glorious indeed. The girl needed to believe in his ideals and ways to follow through on destroying Rainbow Brite. The best way to do that was to stick her in the Colorless Caves and set her wandering about. It would work well for a beginning lesson. Perhaps he'd learn more about the girl while he was at it.

He made his way to her room at a leisurely pace, humming to himself. He pushed open the door, and found the brat sitting on her bed, doing nothing but staring into space. "Listen up!" he called, quickly getting her attention. He watched as she quickly focused and followed his simple command, seemingly ready to follow through on whatever it was that he wanted. "Now, what's your name?" It seemed strange, but he'd never held a proper conversation with the child since she'd arrived, and the only way he knew how to start one was by asking her name.

"Stormy," she replied automatically, eyes continually watching Murky.

"I'm Murky Dismal, the soon to be ruler over everything in this area. To do that, you're going to be my new weapon. I'm going to train you to destroy Rainbow Brite. When I take over Rainbow Land, you'll be my servant, keeping away color and light for good."

Stormy didn't understand much of what Murky said. She hated being told what to do, but her body would not refuse the words. She wanted to do as Murky said, if only in body and not in mind. "Okay," she replied.

"Now, your first lesson begins today. I want you to love a world without color as much as I do. You're going to spend the rest of the day in the Colorless Caves, right among the dark and gloom. I'll come get you when it's time to come out.

Now, Stormy hated the dark. She was really quite afraid of it, even though she loved storms. She had always had her mother keep a light in her room on, afraid to be all alone in the inky blackness. She thought it might swallow her up whole. There could be monsters that would come out too. Only keeping a light on kept her from running out of her room and to the comfort of her mother. Now she was being told that she'd have to spend a long time in the darkness. Her little body trembled with fear, but her head nodded. She didn't want to go into the caves, but she couldn't make her body agree with her.

"Good," replied Murky. "Come with me then."

Stormy tried to fight it, but her legs wouldn't let her. She slid from her spot on the bed and followed Murky out of her room and down the stairs. He lead her through a few passageways, and she knew she'd never remember her way back to her room if she tried to escape. Her legs weren't listening to her. They continued to follow Murky until they stopped in front of an entrance to a very dark section, which Stormy knew could only be the Colorless Caves Murky had talked about. She looked at the entrance, wide-eyed. She didn't want to go in there. What if she never came back out? What if a monster got ahold of her?

"In you go then. Don't go escaping on me. I'll come find you in a bit."

To Stormy's horror, her legs began walking forward and she entered the Colorless Caves, at once being engulfed in the darkness. She turned her head to look back at Murky and the safety of where he stood. She tried to tell the rest of her body to turn around, but it would not listen. It continued walking forward into the cave and she was left to look on at a bright ending to the tunnel. Tears began to form in her eyes and fall lightly on her face. She wiped at them, letting her body do what it wanted. She stopped, and looked around. She couldn't see anything, but she heard noises. She could hear the shuffling of something and dripping coming from somewhere else. It occurred to her that she could walk off a cliff and never been seen again. This new fear gripped at her, and she fell to her knees.

Sobs wracked her tiny body. Fear was all she could feel as tears streamed down her face. "I wanna go home!" she yelled. "I want my mommy and my daddy! I don't want to be here!" Anger engulfed her. "I wish I'd never come here!" She slammed her palms on the stone floor and winced as pain shot through them. She continued to sob, her tears wetting the dusty floor. She didn't know that Murky had been listening to her, that her privacy was interrupted.

Murky was rather smart about the spot he'd chosen to send her into the Colorless Caves. There were many entrances, but none like the one from his laboratory. He'd chosen it merely because there was no water or cliff drop offs for a mile or more. There were some steep slopes, but nothing that would hurt the girl he was training. He couldn't afford for her to be killed after spending so much to buy her. It had been a rather foolish move to spend so much on a child who's powers may or may not be able to be controlled, but there was no point pondering the what-ifs. He merely had to train the girl and the rest would fall into place.

Stormy's sobbing and breakdown had no effect on Murky. He didn't care that she wanted to go home or that she didn't want to be here. She had no choice, brat that she was. He could deal with her sobs later. What mattered was that she followed his commands, even if her mind did not want to do so. She didn't even know why her body would not obey her actions and he intended for her to never find out. The gloom variant was his only key to controlling her and would always be. He turned away from the entrance, and went to work planning that night's excursion to Rainbow Land.

Elsewhere, in Rainbow Land, a lively game of tag was taking place between each of the Color Kids and Rainbow. Twink was sitting on the sides with Starlite, watching the action. He knew that he could never outrun any of the Color Kids, but he was more than happy to watch. Currently, Patty O'Green was it and she was chasing after Buddy Blue. The rest of the Color Kids dodged her lazily, keeping out of her way. They knew they weren't her current target.

"Come back here, Buddy!" called Patty O'Green, continuing to run after him.

"You can't catch me!" he cried back, jogging along. Out of any of the Color Kids, he was the one that was most fit and could easily outrun them. His only problem was that he'd not watch what he was doing and end up tagged. He continued to run, eyes on a nearby tree that he could hide behind. He never caught Patty running at him from a different angle, and jumped in surprise when she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Gotcha!" she called gleefully, a big grin on her face.

"Aww gee..." Buddy Blue trailed as a splash of water fell onto his face. He looked up. The white, puffy clouds were suddenly growing darker.

"I didn't think it started raining this quickly," commented Canary Yellow.

"What gives?" asked Red Butler. He was answered with a roll of distant thunder.

"To the Color Castle! Quickly!" shouted Rainbow. Starlite was soon at her side and she climbed aboard, pulling Twink up after her. She and the Color Kids raced for cover.

"Rain is not good for my outfit!" yelled Lala Orange, trying to keep up.

By the time they all reached the Color Castle, the rain had started to pour heavily and the thunder rolls could be heard getting closer. Lightning streaked the sky every so often, lighting up the now dark day. Buddy Blue and Red Butler pushed the entrance door closed while everyone else tried to shake off the water. Squelching could be heard echoing throughout.

"Go and change into dry clothes, then meet me in my room," instructed Rainbow. No one argued or replied. Seven Color Kids rushed for the stairs and then to their rooms.

Rainbow looked around at the puddles on the floor and then to Twink and Starlite. "I don't like this one bit. Something's not right," she stated, a chattering in her voice.

"Go get warm," insisted Starlite. "You'll get sick if you stay wet like that."

"Starlite and I will clean things up down here," added Twink, his wet fur plastered to his sides. His knees shook from the cold.

"Goodness. Twink and I will dry off and then take care of things," corrected Starlite.

Rainbow nodded. "All right. We'll be back soon." She then took the stairs up to her room, her boots squishing on each stair. She could feel water oozing from them with every step and did not like the feeling.

After a quick toweling off and change, Rainbow felt more ready to meet the Color Kids. She had changed into a new dress and towel dried her body and hair. She'd taken her hair out of its pony tail; it hung at below her shoulders limply, damp from the rain still. She pursed her lips as she paced the room barefoot. She wanted to have some idea of what to say to the Color Kids, but was coming up blank. A knock on her door made her look up. "Come in!" she called, knowing that every Color Kid was on the other side, waiting.

The door opened, and in came Red Butler, followed by the rest of the Color Kids. Each of them had changed into drier clothes, but none of them had opted to go barefoot. Patty had left her hair in its braids, though they did not stand out as they normally would. Each Kid looked to Rainbow and saw the worried look on her face.

"Rainbow, what's going on?" asked Indigo.

"Rainbow Land shouldn't be getting these types of storms. It's not good for the environment," added Shy Violet.

"I'm not sure what's going on," began Rainbow. "These storms just started happening all of a sudden."

"Is it Murky?" asked Lala Orange.

"Yeah, maybe Murky's up to something," agreed Red Butler.

"I'm not sure it is. Murky's not been doing anything about it. He's just been up to his usual tricks. He's never mentioned anything about storms."

"I don't think we should trust him. He's never been worth trusting before," argued Buddy Blue.

"I didn't say we should trust him," corrected Rainbow, "but I don't think that we should blame him for this just yet. We don't know if it really is him."

"These storms are coming from somewhere," spoke up Shy Violet. "The atmosphere of Rainbow Land was never meant for large scale storms, and thunder and lightning have never occurred before in Rainbow Land's history as far as I know. I'd hypothesize that it's an outside anomaly."

"What do we do then?" asked Canary Yellow.

"We keep an eye on it, and we definitely keep an eye on Murky," stated Rainbow confidently.


	5. Demonstration

**Normally this would be the part where I'd say that school was the reason I didn't get another chapter done and such, but it really wasn't all that. Yes, I was busy and working on lesson planning, but the culprit this time was me deciding to watch Lucky Star subs after knowing about it for a few years. It's been a challenge to keep myself writing and not always watching. Regardless, I've made it through 18 episodes this week. I like pointless and random, what can I say? Anyway, the odd intervals for writing allowed me to get a new idea and take for chapter 7, which I think you'll enjoy when it gets posted here. Here's chapter 4 though. Let me know what you think and I'll try to keep from watching too much Lucky Star! :)**

**Chapter 4 Demonstration**

Day in and day out, Stormy was sent to the Colorless Caves. Each day, she tried to refuse the commands that Murky placed upon her, but her body would not listen. Each day, she entered the cave and ended up in tears. She always thought something was out to get her, that she'd end up disappearing forever in the darkness. Every day, she unknowingly created some sort of storm, whether big or little depended on the anger and hurt she felt inside. Neither she nor Murky knew about this. Storms were such a common part of living in the Pits that he wouldn't know which storms were Stormy's and which were the natural ones.

Instead, Murky focused on ways to train Stormy. His gloom variant that he'd finally chosen worked perfectly still as the days had passed, and he couldn't have been more pleased with himself. As soon as he got her used to the darkness and his ideas, he'd move on to bigger things. As long as he didn't get impatient and screw things up, he'd be fine. Such genius took patience after all. He could keep his patience, as long as he was guaranteed to destroy Rainbow Brite in the end. The end would justify the means. He just didn't know yet when that end would be.

At that same moment, Stormy sat in the Colorless Caves, on top of a rock that she'd claimed as her spot for the day. She had adjusted to the darkness and making her way about. She focused on listening for everything around her instead of trying to make out objects in front of her. Her hands would deftly guide her along the walls, and her slow, tiny steps would lead her to her spot each day. There she would sit, bored out of her mind, but she didn't know how to get rid of the boredom. She could do whatever she liked, as long as she stayed in the Colorless Caves and didn't try to leave. There was nothing to do, and so she sat upon the same rock each day, elbows resting on knees. It seemed like nothing was ever going to change. She sighed deeply, and wondered if she should do what Murky wanted. It would be for the best.

She still hated the darkness. It wasn't pleasant to be able to see nothing around you for hours and hours at a time. She wasn't so afraid anymore, but knew that it wouldn't do any good to be afraid. Stormy was very stubborn when she wanted to be. She couldn't make herself leave the Colorless Caves, but she could do something Murky didn't want. She wouldn't move, no matter what. Instead, she sat and listened to the sounds and noises around her. The shuffling, the scratching, the dripping… each noise was different and she tried to guess what it was that was making it. The dripping was the easiest. She knew that must be water somewhere. She wasn't sure of the other noises…. Images of monsters that would gobble her up danced in her head.

It wasn't until weeks later that Murky changed her task. By this point, Stormy was bored of the Colorless Caves. Darkness was okay to her, but it wasn't the greatest thing, not the way Murky talked about it. She didn't think the world should be completely dark and void of color. Color did make things pretty, like watching lightning light up a dark night sky. Or even the rainbow that occurred at the end of a large storm. Much as she hated to see any storm end, there was always that rainbow…Stormy scowled. This only reminded her of Murky's rants about this person called Rainbow Brite.

From what Stormy knew, Murky had been beaten by this Rainbow person many times. She had some belt that would shoot out a rainbow and ruin his plans. It seemed rather funny. What good was a rainbow in destroying something? Rainbows didn't do that. Weapons did, guns and stuff that she'd seen the grown-ups around her have. Who got beaten by a rainbow? Unless they were weak to begin with, no one could was Stormy's thought. If he wanted her to beat this Rainbow Brite, it'd be easy. Rainbows were just some silly thing to look at, not to attack people with. Storms, on the other hand, were good for destruction. From what Stormy had learned, storms could be both helpful and hurtful. They could make things grow or they could destroy land, houses, and people with massive floods and winds. Stormy would choose her powers over the stormy weather over rainbows any day. And what good was some stupid belt?

It was mid-afternoon when Murky visited Stormy in her room. She knew something was up, as she'd not been sent to the Colorless Caves for the day. Instead, she'd been left to her own devices in her room. She sat cross legged on the stone floor, rolling about a stone she'd picked up in the Caves. This stone was near round, but rough around the edges. Stormy had picked it up blindly, and then slid it into the top of her boot. She kept it with her, and ran it through her fingers when she was worried. She concentrated on the stone now, and rolling it about. She jumped when Murky spoke behind her.

"Get up! I have a new training just for you," he instructed.

Stormy instantly rose to her feet at his command, wishing she could have risen more slowly. She felt stiff and achy from sitting in the same position for so long. She quickly palmed the stone so that Murky would not see it and take it from her. Her green orbs gazed up at him, ready and waiting for his next command.

"I bought you so that you'd be my new weapon. Now, I'd like to see what you can do with your powers. And no funny business either, got it? I saw what they did to you at the auction."

Stormy nodded at him, wondering what he was going to have her do this time. It couldn't be as bad as the Colorless Caves."

"We're going outside. Follow me. I'm going to test you." He turned and strode for the door, not waiting for Stormy to catch up. He knew she'd follow him, regardless. She had no choice but to do so.

Stormy followed Murky, wondering what he wanted her to do. She knew he wanted her to use her powers, but how she didn't know. She dared to get a little excited, hoping that he'd give her the freedom to work where her mama had not. Then she realized that she couldn't always do as her mama had asked either. Her mind suddenly flickered back to a fleeting memory of trying to pull the clouds toward her before blinking out again. She lowered her head, wondering what Murky would do if she could not pass his test.

Murky stepped out into the calm, dark, area of the Pits. It was a quiet day, as far as storms go. Typically there would be nonstop lightning and thunder, but today was one of the more peaceful days. His feet crunched on the loose gravel as he led Stormy away from his lair and up onto a high cliff that overlooked the Pits. He turned suddenly, grinning when he saw that the brat had followed him as commanded. He pointed a finger to the sky. "I want you to make it storm. I know what you can do. Don't try any tricks or nonsense!"

Stormy gulped, but raised her hand to the sky as her mama had taught her. Her little body trembled with nervousness, and she couldn't focus. She couldn't remember what she'd been taught to do. Something about her palm and motions and focus… Stormy squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't remember it! She heard the impatient tapping of Murky's foot and knew she had to try. She didn't know what failing Murky's test would ensue. It couldn't be very good though. She looked at her outstretched hand, her green eyes focusing intently on it. If only she could remember what came next…what came after holding out her palm…

"Come on! I'm tired of waiting for you to do something. Let's get moving!" yelled Murky, waving a fist threateningly in the air.

_Moving…motion… that's it!_ Stormy began making the come-hither motion that she knew had been told to her. She focused and tried, but still nothing. She forced her tiny brain to remember, to pull out more of the memory of her training. She then realized that she needed to want it with her mind and heart. She tried again, but nothing happened. The clouds all stayed exactly where they were, great big grey looming puffs that they were. She stomped her foot in frustration.

"Oh that does a lot of good," sneered Murky. Then his expression turned serious. "Stop fooling around! I know what you can do."

Hot tears began to well up in Stormy's eyes. She tried to blink them away. She wouldn't cry in front of Murky. She wouldn't. Her emotions wouldn't listen as her tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. At first, she tried to ignore them, tried to keep working on bringing the clouds closer to her. Her tears turned to sobs that made her body shake and she couldn't focus on anything in front of her, let alone the group of clouds she was supposed to be bringing closer to her.

Murky hopped from foot to foot, angry. "I did not ask for a crybaby! I asked for you to show me your powers. Now do it! Now!"

Stormy heard his comments and quickly spun around to look at him. Anger flashed in her teary eyes and she glared at him. She hated for anyone to call her a crybaby, and would not tolerate it from him either. "I'm not a crybaby," she stated firmly. "Don't ever call me a crybaby!" She stamped her foot, and a peel of thunder was heard. There was no mistake that it had been caused by her stamping. Without a command to keep her in place, she walked toward him.

At first, Murky stood his ground. He had no need to run from a child, especially one that couldn't even use the powers she had. However, as Stormy stomped her foot and the first peel of thunder was heard, he began to get a little nervous. As Stormy began walking toward him, menacing look in her eyes, he began to back away slowly. More thunder rolled and he stuttered as he spoke. "N-now, let's n-not g-get hasty…" he said as he held up his hands. Lightning flashed overhead. "I said stop!" he commanded, remembering the gloom variant.

As Stormy tried to continue moving forward, she found that she was stuck. She couldn't take another step forward. She was frozen in place, unless she wanted to back away. She hesitantly tried to ease her foot backward, but was unable to. Stop apparently meant she was stuck in one spot until he said otherwise. She continued to glare at him, as the storm only continued to grow in size and power. "Don't ever call me a crybaby again," she declared as a large bolt of lightning struck Murky from the sky. He yelped and howled, dashing for the safety of a small nearby cave, least he get struck again. Stormy continue to gaze upon the entrance to the cave for a few minutes more before she once again broke down sobbing, shaking where she stood. She crouched down, hugging her knees to her chest.

The storm continued to worsen, rain beginning to pour down. It started as a drizzle and then increased to a downpour. Lightning and thunder flashed and rumbled, echoing across the Pits. Stormy stayed crouched, her anger and sadness affecting the storm. The rain soaked through her clothes, giving her body a chill. She shivered and shook, but could not move from her spot.

Murky watched the scene, wide-eyed, from safely inside his shelter, amazed at what he saw. It was more than he had ever imagined could come from a child so small. The power she had was enormous, but she couldn't control it yet. It was more than they had been able to show him at the auction. He needed a new plan, and quickly. He would have to train her to use that power. "If I could somehow get her to harness that energy, I'd win this fight, no problem. Just how can I do it though?" he muttered to himself. He watched the storm continue to rage outside, not affected by the emotions portrayed by Stormy. Even he could see that Stormy held great potential, if only her power could be controlled.

Later that evening, Stormy sat huddled in her room, covered by a few blankets that Lurky had kindly given to her. Murky had no idea that Lurky had given away the blankets, and Stormy had no idea that she wasn't supposed to have the blankets in the first place. She'd been herded back to her room after the storm had cleared away and left there until further notice. Stormy didn't know if she was in trouble or if Murky had other plans for her. He had seemed…too happy earlier. She had thought she'd be yelled at or punished for not doing what he had wanted. She still couldn't do as her mother had tried to teach…and then that storm came up. Stormy felt lucky that a bolt of lightning had struck Murky and scared him off, even if she couldn't do anything. At least the weather seemed to be on her side.

The door creaked open, and Stormy quickly turned her head. Lurky stood there with a dinner tray and placed it in front of her. "Here ya go! Murky says you need to eat up really well for tomorrow!" he called out gleefully to her. He sat the tray on a table that had been added to her room by Lurky. He bumbled away, not staying around to make sure she ate.

As soon as Lurky had left her be, Stormy slipped from the pile of blankets, keeping one ratty brown one wrapped about her shoulders. She climbed into the oversized chair and sat up on her knees, surveying her meal. It looked better than the usual fare that Lurky brought her. It didn't seem speckled with dirt or dust or strange looking pieces of animal or whatever was in the food. It looked to be standard meat and potatoes with some bread. Of course, there was that glass of nasty fruit juice she had to drink every meal. It was the only thing Murky would give her to drink. By now, she'd been able to trick herself into thinking it was fruit juice and that it actually tasted good. It was enough to trick her brain, which was all she wanted. She still couldn't get rid of the terrible aftertaste of it… it would linger in her mouth for hours, and nearly make her sick.

Stormy picked at her food, eating it slowly, making it seem to last longer. The food she'd been given had never tasted so good. She had no idea when she'd get such good food again that she decided it was best to make it last as long as possible. She chewed on the meat, trying to figure out what it tasted like. It was good, but nothing she'd ever tasted before. She gulped down a large portion of the juice before working to finish off the rest of her dinner.

Meanwhile, Murky was busily plotting to himself in his bedroom. He'd not let Stormy know of anything. His mind was on the storm that had occurred that afternoon, and he knew it had to be that brat doing it. The sky had been calm prior and when she looked at him angrily, that lightning bolt had struck. Anything else just made it seem like too much of a coincidence. It had been her to do it. Her anger had fueled the storm and she had unknowingly focused her anger onto him, which commanded the power of the storm. He knew that she had no idea of what she'd even done. He was quite sure she was still very clueless about it all.

Murky paced the length of the room, trying to figure out what he could do. The child obviously had great potential, more than could have been seen at the auction, but he had to bring it forth. If she had never been kidnapped, she would have had someone to train her to master her powers. That couldn't be done here in this case. He'd have to work around that issue. Perhaps if he made her practice for hours at a time, he could get her to slowly master her powers. She could probably work alone, if given the chance to test her abilities. And, he wouldn't be in the way if she got angry again!

Tomorrow seemed like a perfect day to begin a new training regimen for her. As long as she had the gloom variant, there wasn't any place she could run to if he gave the right commands. She could stay outside and practice, and he would be able to keep an eye on her from his laboratory. He'd be able to observe her from there and then decide the best course of action. If things went well, she still might eventually be stronger than Rainbow Brite. After all, if he could lure Rainbow to the Pits, then he could spring Stormy on her as a surprise attack. He could imagine her trying to use her Color Belt to get rid of the rain and Stormy, but it'd be no use. Stormy would win. The only problem was getting her trained properly to use all of her potential. He didn't want her going out and half way doing something. She didn't even know she was the one responsible for that storm! He could use that to his advantage.

"Tomorrow I'll give her a talk… perhaps it will convince her to stick with me and I can get her on my side for good… if she thinks I can help her with her powers then maybe she'll think I'm the good guy and Rainbow is the bad guy." Murky spoke softly to himself, rubbing his chin. It would take work to convince a child, but it would be easier than trying to do so with an adult.

Murky pulled a book off a nearby bookshelf and flipped open to a dog-earred page that he'd thought might be useful one day to use with Rainbow. Murky ran his finger down the page, stopping when he found exactly what he was looking for. He set the book down and ran to find his notebook, eager to study and take notes. He quickly returned, pencil in hand. "The art of manipulating a child," he began to read, "is a simple, but delicate art. It is not as difficult as manipulating an adult, as their minds have developed reason and morals. A child has none of these until it is taught…" He cackled gleefully, scribbling notes as he read with his finger. This was going to be the beginning of the end for Rainbow Brite!

**Seems like Stormy's temper got the best of her... what does Murky have in store for her next?**


	6. A Gift

**I finished chapter 8 yesterday, but didn't feel like making an update at that point. However, I decided to do so tonight. This chapter jumps ahead six years in the timeframe, which makes Stormy about 12 years old when this chapter begins. Stormy has no idea of her exact age, as you'll come to see. It was time to progress forward; you'll find that I'll do this again in the future, although I won't tell when. I love this chapter, mostly for the flashback and then the dream sequence. They are some of my favorites. If you like, let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 5 A Gift**

Three points of lightning struck down, smashing three different stones. One stone had been low in a crevice, one up high on a cliff, and one wedged between two large stones. They crumbled easily under the force of the lightning bolt, shattered stone flying in all directions. Another low roll of thunder was heard as a lightning bolt cracked in the distance, highlighting the outline of a child clad in shades of grey, her lavender colored hair and piercing green eyes the only colors to be seen. A smirk was plastered upon her face, and she was clearly pleased with her actions. She turned her palm to the sky again, fingers deftly searching for the nearby bolts she so desired. _Crack. Crack. Crack._ Three more stones, broken into smithereens.

The child turned away, entering the stone lair behind her. She ignored everything in her path, and headed for her room, the place where she'd been kept for the past six years. Of course, she had no concept of time in this place, and no way to keep track of it even if she did. To her, it had merely been a long time, a time where she'd learnt quite a good bit from her keeper. She hadn't changed much in that time span, barely growing an inch before she grew no more. It had seemed odd to her at first that she just stopped growing. Even her hair had grown a little more, but it too had stopped. It was as though time had stopped her from aging any further, keeping her in her current physical state.

At first, she'd found this odd. She knew she wasn't getting any taller, and knew that she should be. She remembered her parents and how big they were. If she tried really hard, she could see their faces for a glimmering second before they faded away in her mind. After awhile, it was just a fact that she was never going to grow and so she forgot about it. Why worry about something that wasn't happening? She'd continued on as usual, and it became just another normal thing.

Her wet boots squelched on the stone floor, echoing off the stone walls. Her wardrobe had been upgraded as soon as her keeper had seen her true potential. Now she wore pale grey boots, each with a darker grey lightning bolt insignia. She was robed in a dress of various shades of grey, one that had both an under dress and then a skirt that was split up the front. The skirt was held up by a pair of suspenders that were hidden underneath the lining of the skirt. On the waist of the skirt was a white cloud, with another lightning bolt insignia on it. After all, her keeper wanted her to use symbols similar to his own, and ones that reflected her own power. She had a new lightning bolt hairclip, also grey in color to hold back her thick, lavender hair.

As she climbed the stone stairs, she heard the unmistakable sound of Lurky, her keeper's clumsy assistant. He seemed to be doing something in a nearby room, and she hoped that she could sneak by without him noticing. Unfortunately, her squeaky boots gave her away.

"Stormy!" he called gleefully, waving his arms at her. "Stormy, wanna play with my new game? All you have to do is—" he stopped talking as soon as he realized that she was no longer in the doorway. He scratched at his head. "Maybe she wants to play later!" he said to himself, always the optimistic one.

Slamming the door behind her, she entered her room and collapsed on her bed, tired, yet satisfied with her training for the day. It hadn't been easy to take care of, but it was done and she had enjoyed every moment of it. The satisfying feeling of hearing the stones burst into pieces, the adrenaline rush of directing a lightning bolt to its desired target, even the feel of manipulating the weather had all become a rush to her. It was all to accomplish one goal: destroy Rainbow Brite.

Over the few years she'd been there, she'd heard, learned, and been drilled about the ways of Rainbow Land and color. At first, it'd seemed like silly things, but now…it was something more. She was going to get rid of that girl, no matter what. She been working to develop her powers, ones that made her keeper very pleased. Of course, he did seem crazy at times, the way he'd speak of plunging Rainbow Land into darkness. For destroying Rainbow Brite, she'd receive the power to do as she pleased with the weather system of the planet. The things she could do! The storms and floods she could create! And all she had to do was get rid of the one who protected the land.

Of course, she'd never seen Rainbow Brite, but she'd heard enough of what she did. She spread color over the land, making it bright and cheerful. Year in and year out, she did this, and never tired, or failed. She always managed to beat Stormy's keeper on top of all that. Secretly, Stormy knew he could not wield the power that she could, and she'd prove that once and for all…

Her thoughts were interrupted with her door being flung open, its hinges banging against the stone behind it. There stood her keeper, grinning at her. She remembered that he'd mentioned being gone for a few days, and that she hadn't seen him. He had apparently returned, and by the look on his face, she knew that he had been triumphant in whatever it was he'd set out to do. "Come with me and see what I've brought for you," he called, grinning from ear to ear. Stormy looked at him from her spot on the bed, apparently bored with the idea.

"Don't look at me that way. It's something you can use to help you beat Rainbow Brite," he continued, knowing that would get her moving.

Stormy rose from her bed more quickly than she wanted to, knowing that her body was willing to obey his command, whether or not she wanted to. She silently followed him, listening to the small bits of laughter that came from his mouth. It was something good, apparently. Stormy couldn't recollect the last time she'd seen him so happy. Murky led her into a section of the lair she'd never seen before. She'd never really been in the basement areas of his lair. She had to admit to herself that her curiosity was piqued, and she did want to know what he'd brought her, especially if it was for her to use against Rainbow Brite.

The room they entered was lit dimly with lanterns. In one corner, Lurky was moving bundles of hay into a large pile. A water trough was nearby, and bags of feed stood in another corner. Stormy had no idea what all of this was for.

"Stormy! Murky got you a horsey!" called Lurky as he rushed over to the two of them.

"Get back to work, Lurky!" instructed Murky.

Stormy's eyes roamed the room as Murky and Lurky shared a small battle of wits, which Murky always won. She almost missed him the first time, but a second glance to the far dark corner revealed the surprise that Lurky had indeed spoiled. A beautiful, midnight violet horse stood before her, its mane, tail, and marking on its forehead a lighter lavender. The marking was a lightning bolt, similar to the ones that marked Stormy as a storm maker.

"I see you've found him. I got him pretty cheaply. He's wild and not very tame when let loose. The seller gave me special medicine to keep him calm."

"Why does he have a lightning bolt marking?" asked Stormy.

"That's the best part," answered Murky with a short laugh. "He loves storms, and can blow fog and ice from his nostrils… the seller didn't know if he had any other powers, but he was certain there were more."

Stormy moved closer to the large creature, staring up in awe at him. She looked him in the eye, and though the horse looked back at her, she felt as though he was looking right inside her. He snorted, and wispy tendrils of fog drifted over Stormy, blinding her sight for a few seconds before disappearing. She fanned the air around her, clearing away the leftover remains. She was drawn into those dark eyes, which seemed to relay that there was so much more hidden beneath the surface. "And he's mine?" she asked.

"All yours. You'll train him and he'll help you fight Rainbow."

Stormy didn't care about the second part of his reply, forcibly hiding the scowl that threatened to emerge at being compared to Rainbow yet again. Instead she reached out to touch Skydancer, knowing from the warmth of his velvet coat that he was truly alive and not just a dream of hers. She'd never had an animal of her own… she couldn't remember why. It was yet another memory that seemed so close, yet she couldn't bring it any closer. She only knew she had never had something to care for and own, as Murky wanted her to do with Skydancer.

_~ Flashback ~_

"Mama, can I have a frog?" asked an impatient Stormy, hopping from foot to foot.

"No, Stormy. You cannot have a frog," replied her mama as she prepared the evening meal, carefully chopping the vegetables.

Stormy scrunched up her face. "Well, what about a bird?"

"No," was the simple reply given yet again.

"Why not?" asked Stormy in a whiny voice.

"Stormy, you can barely take care of the plant in your room. Even then, I have to water it every few days to make sure it won't die."

"But it's so stupid. And it doesn't even have pretty flowers. Just these tiny things." Stormy scrunched two fingers together to illustrate her point.

"How could I trust you with a pet if you can't take care of a plant. A pet needs taken care of every day with food and water. A pet also needs lots of attention."

"I can do that! I do it with the ants in the garden!" replied Stormy proudly.

Stormy's mama turned to look at her. "Stormy, you _kill_ the ants in the garden every chance you get with the magnifying glass."

Stormy crossed her arms. "But I feed them and give them attention!" she protested.

Her mama turned her head to look at her. "You feed them food so they'll come out of their colonies to it. When you feed them, it just so happens that your magnifying glass is hovering near the food. And sure, you give them attention. You make sure that they move directly under your magnifying glass. Neither of those are the same when you have a pet."

"But I won't try to kill a frog or a bird with a magnifying glass!"

"Stormy, you have to show me you can take care of what you have first before I even think about you having a pet to take care of. Right now I'd end up doing all the work for you."

Stormy stomped her foot on the floor. "But that's not fair!"

"Show me you can take care of your plant and stop tormenting the ants and I'll think about it."

_~ End Flashback ~_

Stormy patted Skydancer's muzzle, hesitantly at first, but soon becoming more comfortable with it. She wasn't used to being near such a large creature. Skydancer pulled away after a few seconds, not wanting to be touched. Stormy watched as Skydancer backed away to the farthest corner of the room. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"He's wild. You have to train him. Can't do much with a wild horse, can you?" he asked, chuckling to himself.

Later that evening, Stormy lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She wasn't sure what to think about this new thing. Murky had given her Skydancer for his own purposes, and expected her to train him. Stormy had no idea how she was to go about training a wild horse, not even a clue about where to start.

If only she didn't get these gifts because Murky had bigger plans for her. She was only getting them because he was training her in Rainbow's image. He'd said so enough times that it was burned into Stormy's mind. He expected her to win and to conquer Rainbow, taking Rainbow Land just for him. Part of her wondered what would happen if she failed and Rainbow won in the end. What would he do to her? What would he even begin to say? The thought didn't even cross her mind that he might destroy her for her incompetence. Her physical age may have been more than her body showed, but she was still a child in heart and mind. Rolling over, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

She awoke to find herself in a grassy field. Blinking, she looked up to see a pale blue sky and puffy white clouds. She sat up, and sat that her bed was green grass. She felt the blades between her fingers and on her legs, yet could not feel them at the same time. This puzzled her. She knew she could feel them, but she didn't know what it felt like; it'd been too long since she'd seen or felt green grass. She was used to the stone floors and caverns. The sky seemed strange as well; she was used to a black, stormy sky that streaked with lightning and rolled with thunder constantly. Off in the distance a tune could be heard… it was just one single voice and didn't sound like an animal's. Then again, she realized she wouldn't know the difference.

Rising to her feet, Stormy followed the sound of the tune, and then spotted its source, or rather, the shadow of the source. She lowered herself to the grass, laying on her belly. Here the blades of grass were taller so they afforded her an okay spot to hide in. Stormy watched the shadow in front of her. She quickly noticed a few things. She first realized that the shadow belonged to a little girl. From the distance, Stormy judged that she was about her height or a little bigger. This girl was happy and cheerful, content to sing and hum her tune. Stormy could tell nothing else about her; the girl was engulfed in shadow. Her facial and physical features could not be discerned. Stormy couldn't even tell what she wore.

She continued to watch as this shadow girl danced about in front of her, humming and singing a wordless tune, but one that was calming and peaceful. It then struck Stormy as rather odd that this girl was a shadow when she danced in broad sunlight. Yet, she squinted to get a better view and could not see anything beyond the inky black shadow in front of her. She felt her head nodding, entranced by this girl's merry attitude. The grass tickled against her skin, but she did not move from her hiding spot, least the girl discover her.

Suddenly, the girl stopped twirling and whirled suddenly. She stopped and seemed to stare at a distance beyond. Stormy watched with baited breath. Somehow, she just knew that this girl was staring directly at her. She had spied on something personal and now she was in trouble for it. Realizing that staying crouched in her hiding spot was quite futile, she rose up and ran. She ran as fast as she could, but she still kept hearing the singing voice behind her. It never seemed to get any closer or further away; it simply followed her.

Stormy stopped and turned around to face the shadow girl, who had stopped and was looking right back at her. "What do you want?" she asked the girl.

The shadow girl did not answer though. She continued to sing her tune, not acknowledging Stormy in the least. She merely watched and reached a hand out for Stormy. She waited, wanting Stormy to reach out and clasp her hand around hers. Stormy slowly backpedaled, not wanting to take hold. "Stay away from me!" she called, and was relieved to see that the girl did not come any closer.

"Stay away from me…. Stay away from me…" muttered a sleeping Stormy as she tossed and turned in her bed.


	7. Training Skydancer

**I know I haven't updated in a few weeks. It was only last night that I remembered having a backlog of chapters for this story. They come in rather handy for times like these. I am working on chapter 9 and have 2 pages completed. However, it's the end of the school year, I'm drained, and things are a bit crazy. I still keep going though. Random off topic question: Anyone going to Otakon? I'll be there. Saturday I'm cosplaying as Taiga from Fate/Stay Night, and one of the other days I hope to do Shiro from the same anime. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 6 Training Skydancer**

Stormy awoke early the next morning, feeling restless and very sleepy, despite the fact that she'd slept through the night. She felt like something important had happened while she slept, but she couldn't remember anything. The last fuzzy edges of the dream she had slipped away as she awakened into full consciousness. She jumped as her door was slammed open, wincing as the echo bounced off the walls. She turned to her door, thinking she'd find Murky there, angry at something, but instead, she saw Lurky, beaming and happy as could be. "C'mon! Let's train the horsey! Murky says I get to help." He had her breakfast tray in his hands.

Groaning inwardly, Stormy slid off her bed. "I need to eat first," she stated. She reached up and took the tray from Lurky, setting it on her table. She ate slowly on purpose, prolonging the fact that she needed to work with Lurky today. She was used to working by herself and had gotten used to no one interfering as long as she did what she should. Murky hadn't been part of her training for a long time. Every so often, he'd check on her powers or give her some sort of test, but typically he was off doing whatever he needed to do instead. Now she had to deal with his assistant, if he could even be called that.

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" called Lurky. "We're gonna have fun!"

Stormy gulped down the rest of her drink, that same inky black liquid that was disguised as juice. She gave the tray back to Lurky. "You need to take this back first," she reminded him, annoyed.

"Got it!" he called as he dashed out of her door, the rattling of dishware apparent. Stormy had a feeling that it wouldn't end very well. A few seconds later, she heard Lurky's "Uh oh!" following by tumbling and crashing and the tinkling of shattered glass. "I'm okay!" Lurky yelled, as though someone cared how his tumble had turned out. Stormy shook her head. This was going to be a long day indeed.

A half hour later, Stormy found herself and Lurky in the room where Skydancer was kept. She noticed a large pile of hay and a watering trough had been placed out for Skydancer, but that he was nowhere near it. If not for the swishing of his tail, he would have blended in perfectly with the shadows in the room. "Such a pretty horsey," commented Lurky.

Lurky was going to be no help in training Skydancer. Stormy had the hunch that Murky had merely made him help her so that Lurky would be out of his hair for the day. She had not the slightest idea of how to train a horse, but it had to be more of an idea than anything Lurky could come up with. Stormy moved closer to Skydancer and was about to reach out to him when Lurky called out again.

"Lookie! I even gave him food and water!"

Stormy turned to glare at him and didn't see Skydancer shift his weight to bump her. Stormy fell to the floor, landing on her butt. A quick bit of pain was felt before it faded away. She got to her feet. "Stop distracting me!" she yelled to Lurky. But Lurky wasn't paying any attention to her. He was fixing the pile of hay into a nice, neat stack. She turned back to Skydancer, who looked at her, uninterested. He looked away, and his head disappeared into the shadows again. "Hey! Skydancer! I'm gonna train you and you're gonna do what I say!" she stated, stomping her foot on the ground to emphasize her point. She received a snort in reply for her statement and saw Skydancer's tail flick back and forth.

Stormy emitted a low growl, not used to being so ignored. She stomped her foot again. "Did you hear me? I said I'm gonna train you! Murky gave you to me!" The only reply she received was a flick of his tail.

Studying the horse, she decided to try something new. She judged the height from the ground and then, when Skydancer had turned his head away from her yet again, dashed to his side and swung herself up on his back. She sat up, attempting to adjust herself to the new height…for all of five seconds. Skydancer reared up on hind legs and dumped the unsuspecting Stormy from his backside. She fell onto her left side on the stone floor and groaned. Tears pricked at her eyes as she sat up, rubbing at the pain she felt. She didn't want to cry, not in front of Lurky and especially not in front of Skydancer. The tears spilled over anyway and she rubbed at her eyes. This wasn't how it should be. Skydancer should listen to her and do as she said, not do what he wanted.

"Duh, why are you crying?" asked Lurky, turning around from his haystack. He'd missed the whole thing.

Stormy looked up at him through watery eyes and broke down in a fresh wave of tears. She hurt and ached, and her side was throbbing in pain. She drew her knees up to her chest and cried into them, never answering or looking at Lurky.

"Don't cry. You've got a pretty horsey," he insisted.

Over the next few days, training sessions continued in much the same fashion. Stormy would attempt to get Skydancer's attention or mount him, and he'd buck her off his back, annoyed at her actions. She knew she needed a new plan and quickly. Skydancer wasn't going to let her do anything with him at this point. It was time to think about something new to try. Stormy knew she needed to come up with something fast when Murky commented on her attempts.

"What a waste!" he cried. "That horse doesn't like you and won't like you until you train it!" He said this after watching Stormy fall off Skydancer for the umpteenth time. "Or maybe you just can't train him… maybe I shouldn't have given you that horse."

Stormy looked up at him, anger flashing through her green eyes. She felt something inside her snap and wanted to give an angry reply back. She began to open her mouth when Murky continued to speak.

"And don't think about replying to that. If you're going to be angry, don't say it to me!" he sneered before turning and leaving the room.

Stormy tried to speak, knowing that to do so would be pointless; the words she wanted to say would not come out. Angry, spiteful words came to mind, but they were words she could not speak nor yell nor whisper. They had to be contented to stay in her mind and she still had no idea why she couldn't do the things she wanted. Her mind made no connection to the juice concoction she drank with every meal.

Murky's snide remarks prompted Stormy to consider a different approach to Skydancer's training. She knew that trying to force the horse to do anything wasn't working; all it earned her were bruises all over her body and a bruised ego. She wasn't used to not being listened to like this, not from human or animal. Skydancer was forcing her to consider other options. At this point, the horse liked Lurky better than it liked her. Skydancer let Lurky feed him and lead him about on a rope. Stormy had no problems relegating these tasks to him; by the time she'd finished training him for the day, she was bruised and exhausted, and didn't feel like doing anything else. At that point she was usually angry with Skydancer as well and wanted nothing to do with him anyway. Lurky was more than happy to take up these jobs.

The next day, Stormy entered Skydancer's stable area and looked thoughtfully at the horse. The urge to continue doing what she had always done was tempting, but instead she forced herself to sit on a nearby stool and simply watched the regal creature, whom once again had hidden in the shadows. She could see the swishing of his lavender tail and heard the soft noises he was making. "You're supposed to be my horse," she stated suddenly, hating to sit in the silence. "That's what Murky says." Skydancer did nothing to acknowledge that she'd even spoken. "You're supposed to help me defeat Rainbow Brite. Murky hates her. He says she's his enemy." A whicker was the only reply she received.

Stormy ran the toe of her boot through the dust that had gathered on the stone floor. It felt strange talking to a horse that couldn't talk back. Then again, she guessed that they weren't supposed to talk. Despite this fact, she continued. Talking to Skydancer was better than talking to Lurky and much better than talking to Murky, who only berated her and laughed. "That's why he gave you to me. Rainbow Brite has a horse too. I heard Murky talking about the horse one time. He helps Rainbow Brite and can run really fast too. Murky said that he must be the fastest horse in the universe." Stormy heard what seemed like a snort from the shadows. She decided to play this up. "He can outrun anybody. He's raced against other horses and won every time. He can fly too."

There was no response from Skydancer this time around, and Stormy wondered if it was because of what she'd said. She grinned to herself and decided to continue with her lie. She was having too much fun now that she'd gotten started. Before she could speak again, Lurky stumbled into the room, carrying a large pile of hay. "I gots more food for the horsey!" he cried. Stormy watched him and then saw the rock in his path. Any person could easily avoid it, but Lurky was different. "Wa—" was the only bit of sound that left her mouth before Lurky's red shoe caught the underside of the rock. Lurky flew forward, as did the hay. Stormy covered her head and closed her eyes as bits and pieces rained down over everything in the stable.

When she thought that everything had settled, she opened her eyes. The usual dingy grey room was covered in sticks and strands of yellow. She looked down at herself and saw the same thing. Grimly, she began picking the bits and pieces of hay off of her clothing. It had gone everywhere – on her clothes, in her boots, and in her hair. She removed as much of the hay from herself as she could see before she began picking at her hair. The pieces had gotten stuck in her thick, lavender hair and every time she thought she'd pulled it all out, she found yet another piece stuck somewhere else.

Stormy cut the training session short, retreating to her room where there was a tiny piece of glass that she could use as a mirror. She pulled her hair out of its pony tail and unbraided the tiny piece on the side. Then she set to work, meticulously combing her hair for the tiny pieces of hay. A small pile formed on the table beside her. It seemed to take forever to find each tiny piece, but at last Stormy was satisfied. She then took her belt and overcoat off, and set to pulling the hay off of the dark grey material, finding it easier to take care of than her hair. As soon as she was satisfied that every piece of hay was removed from her hair and clothes, she set to rebraiding her hair again. She made a mental note not to let Lurky carry in the hay while she was working with Skydancer. "If only he'd stayed away a bit longer, I might have been able to really get to Skydancer," she mumbled to herself.

Meanwhile, Murky was in his laboratory, flipping through a hardbound book. It was the book that served as a journal of sorts, the one where he kept notes on his plans and experiments, most of which had failed upon execution. With the exception of Stormy, nothing had been truly worthy in the end. Failed experiments did not sit well with him, but he was beginning to take them as they came. After all, there was still plenty of color in the world, and still the Rainbow Brite brat that existed and protected all of it. He couldn't give up, not as long as she kept the color in the world. It would be much easier once she was out of the picture and Rainbow Land was plunged back into darkness. The days of the Evil One and the servitude of the inhabitants was all but a distant, pleasant memory.

Of course, he'd been a servant of the Evil One as well, having come to Rainbow Land on accident. He was younger then, and had recently acquired Lurky through a trade gamble gone wrong of sorts. The bumbling oaf had an infantile, trusting quality and Murky figured that he could use him in the end for something. He was still quite leery of the large furry creature, and became outraged when Lurky had been the one to push the wrong button on the rickety space craft, plunging them into the throes of a dark land. They had been captured and taken by the ruler of the land, whereby Murky pledged his loyalty and servitude, promising to accomplish and achieve the goals required. He'd been given a stone castle of sorts, if you could call it that. In reality it was merely a lavish home built out of a cave.

Time had passed and he'd completed the tasks before him. Lurky had come in handy to assign the more physically assertive tasks to. Between the two of them, they'd built a transport vehicle that Lurky drove; Murky never could drive it properly. The gears always frustrated him, and he always stalled the vehicle out or couldn't get it to steer properly. Whatever the case, he simply delegated the task to Lurky, letting the creature think that it was because it was a special job to hold. Lurky had never suspected it was because he was a terrible driver.

Once he'd adjusted to the darkened land, he set to work planning and scheming. The sprites became his servants, simple creatures that he never spared a second thought to. He commanded, and they obeyed. They obeyed anyone who was larger than them and cowered easily. A whimpering sprite was indeed a very annoying sound to have to listen to constantly. Lurky got on better with the sprites, and Murky tried to keep him as far from them as possible. He didn't need Lurky getting some foolish idea that the sprites needed to be freed or something. That would have never pleased the master.

Everything had changed once Rainbow Brite had come seeking to fix the darkened land. A child had won out against the darkness and claimed the stupid Color Belt that gave her the powers to do so. Luckily, the Color Belt had not destroyed him along with his master. Murky simply kept to the area that became dubbed as the Pits and used the extra space for storage and newer experiments. He did not go into Rainbow Land unless it was necessary to; he hated all that color and the happiness it brought. Once it was destroyed things would be much better, especially since he would be the master of the world this time around.

His thoughts turned to Stormy and the training of the girl. The brainwashing was coming along nicely. Slowly he was getting the girl to believe that she would defeat Rainbow Brite and come to be his second in command. She was starting to hate the color and cheerfulness he told her about, but it would still be a long while before he could say that she was ready to attack Rainbow Land sufficiently. He could have easily chosen to force the ideals upon her, but decided against that route. He wanted them to instead become ingrained into her, a part of her soul that she simply could not live without. In the end, if she ever questioned his rule or word, she'd not be able to blame him for the brainwashing, only herself.

His book was flipped open to the pages he'd first written up shortly after buying Stormy at the black market auction. He'd recorded the girl's attitudes and behaviors; she had cried a lot in those days. Murky groaned at the memories, remembering that annoying cry that lasted forever. He was glad that she had quickly gotten over that. The gloom variant he had created for her had helped a great deal. His fingers turned a few pages until he found his notes and observations on the various variations he'd concocted within a relatively short timespan.

_Variant #11 has a quick effect on the girl. However, this variant puts her in a trance state, and does not allow for any external thinking. My commands are obeyed and carried out, but with a slowness that will cripple my effect with her in a battle. Variant wears off after only five hours, and the girl doesn't remember anything she's said, done, or learned within the time the variant affected her body. Scrap._

Indeed, Murky remembered many of the variants and how useless they had all turned out to be. If they didn't put Stormy in a trance state, they had unpleasant side effects that Murky was not willing to clean up after, or they simply did not satisfy him. Variant #23 had been the perfect one, the one that had been effective in all areas. The only area it seemed to lack in was the immediate response he desired after giving a command, but Variant #24 and #25 had each had slight tweaking and that produced terrible results. Variant #23 was what he gave Stormy from there on out.

There was still quite a way to go with her training, but Murky was confident that one day she would face off against Rainbow and win. He would make certain that she would have all the tools necessary to do so. All it required was more patience on his end. He had to have time and patience to make the plan successful. Without one or the other, he would be doomed to fail. He slammed the book shut at the mere thought. There was no way that he, Murky Dismal, would fall at a scheme as great as this one. He was destined to become the next ruler of Rainbow Land.


	8. Rainbow's Questioning

**So even though I slacked while working on that oneshot, not only have I written 2 chapters for this story in the past week, which means I'm ready to start chapter 11, I was also able to write another oneshot for the Fate/stay night fandom and begin work on adapting that into a different format for another site. This also means that school is out, and my creative juices are flowing. It's amazing what a lack of job responsibility can do! I want to finish this story this summer if at all possible. I'm going to try and we'll see where that goes. It all depends on what else I get caught up in writing. I want to begin another RB longshot, based on a fanart piece for RBUK's contest. I have some neat ideas for it. If you're a member of the forum site, you might just find a teaser there soon. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! :)**

**Chapter 7 Rainbow's Questioning**

"Murky's been awful quiet lately," commented Buddy Blue one afternoon. It was a late spring afternoon, and all the star sprinkles that had been needed were stockpiled in one of the lower rooms of the Color Castle. Rainbow had had no need to visit the Earth today. Everything was in order, just as it should be. Everyone was simply relaxing in a clearing near the Color Castle.

Rainbow sat up; she had been laying in the grass, watching the clouds pass by. "I think that's a good thing. He never seems to have any good ideas."

"What if he's up to something?" suggested Shy Violet.

Rainbow thought about this a moment before answering. "I don't know. We don't know what he's up to, if anything. He could just be doing nothing."

"Besides, Rainbow can take him on," piped up Red Butler from under a tree. "She took on the Evil One and saved us."

"I had to," replied Rainbow. "This land couldn't survive in darkness. It needed light and color and life." Rainbow eyed the Pits uneasily. Murky is no match for the Evil One. I don't think he can do any real harm."

"What if he did?" asked Twink?

"Then we'd take care of him," answered Rainbow. "I have my Color Belt to protect us with."

"Rainbow would never let us down," agreed Canary Yellow, smiling.

Rainbow lay back in the grass and looked up at the clouds. She knew Murky could never create something so terrible as the Evil One had done. She'd seen some of his pranks, and they weren't always very good. She was reminded of his last escapade where he'd shown up in the Color Castle, meaning to take her Color Belt. It might have been a plan that would have worked, but Murky's assistant, Lurky, had tripped over something downstairs and alerted everyone to his presence. She and the Color Kids had quickly scared him off. It had been so simple to do. She frowned, but let the thought slip from her mind.

Later that evening, she lay awake in bed. Nighttime had come long ago, yet she found she couldn't fall asleep. She stared up at the dark ceiling, hoping that if she stared long enough she would be able to sleep. It didn't help; she only started rolling from side to side, trying to find the more comfortable position. _Was Murky up to something?_ she kept thinking over and over again. Sitting up, she made her way to the colorful pole that Twink always used to access the tallest tower in the Color Castle.

"Twink?" she called softly. "Twink, wake up." She listened carefully, hoping that Twink heard her soft calling. She didn't want to wake up anyone else in the Color Castle. She heard no stirring from above. She studied the pole, wondering if she could pull herself up the pole as deftly as Twink was able to. She figured it was worth a try. Stepping back a few feet, she took a running start before jumping up and clasping her arms and legs around the pole. She attempted to pull herself up, finding it to be harder than Twink made it look. She made slow progress, slowly clenching and unclenching her legs as her hands reached high above her head. It took awhile, but finally her body was halfway above the hole to the top tower. She pulled her legs up and swung herself onto the floor. She sat there for awhile, trying to catch her breath. The small climb had exhausted her, and she felt that she could fall asleep on the spot. Briefly, she considered sliding right back down the pole and crawling back into bed, but then all the effort would have been for nothing.

Rising to her feet, she crept around the opening and over to Twink's hammock, where the white sprite was dozing softly. A light purple blanket covered his body, and Rainbow noticed the alarm clock nearby, the one that let Twink know when the sun was up. His body loved to sleep late, but Twink did not. He wanted to be up as soon as the sun was in the sky so that he could join the other sprites who worked in the Color Mines. Rainbow knew that he would return to the Color Castle after she had finished breakfast. "Twink," she whispered in a low voice. "Wake up, Twink."

The white sprite mumbled in his sleep before rolling over, facing away from Rainbow. Rainbow reached out and gently shook him. "Twink, wake up," she tried again.

Twink groaned before rolling back over. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus on Rainbow. "What is it?" he asked sleepily, yawning.

"Twink, do you think Murky would try something?"

"Huh… um… no…" he began, trying to wake himself up.

"Are you sure?"

Twink sat up, sleep clearing away more quickly. "Murky would never get to you, Rainbow. He's too silly. His plans never work."

"But what if they did?" asked Rainbow persistently.

"Then you'd stop him," replied Twink without a doubt. He yawned and covered his mouth with his right hand.

"But what if I couldn't?"

"You would. You always do," answered Twink. "You have the Color Belt and us to help. Don't worry about Murky."

Rainbow nodded. "You're right, Twink. I shouldn't worry about him. Go back to sleep, okay?" She covered her sprite up and he closed his eyes, soon fast asleep again. Rainbow rose to her feet and moved to the nearby wall, resting her elbows on top of it. She glanced up at the night sky and looked off into the distance, toward the treacherous Pits. A bit of lightning streaked the sky in the distance. Rainbow had never been to the Pits, and she never intended to go there. What she had seen on her quest to restore the land to its natural state had been enough. Why that part of the land remained dark was a mystery; it was a snag in an otherwise beautiful world. Sighing, she returned to the pole she'd climbed up and slid down it. Crawling into bed, exhaustion hit her, and she drifted off to sleep.

She woke up, finding herself sitting beneath a large tree, one that provided a large amount of shade. The cool breeze blew, setting off goose bumps along her arms. Rainbow shivered slightly, pulling her arms closer around her body. She looked around her, surprised to find herself in an open field. The tree she had woken up under was the only tree she could see for miles; grass and flowers spread as far as her eyes could see. Looking about, she tried to figure out what to do. Her hands lowered to her side and that's when she felt it. She looked down and saw a brown star pouch, the same type of pouch that the sprites wore. She opened the clasp and found a handful of colorful star sprinkles inside.

Rainbow walked through the field, happy and carefree. She couldn't remember why she had come to this place, but she felt very peaceful and happy inside. The star sprinkles jangled together inside the pouch and provided an odd rhythm to her walking pace. She began to sing to herself, the one song that always made her smile. "Whenever my happy smile turns upside down, I know how to turn my troubles around. I feel the yellow sunshine warming my skin. I open my eyes and let the green in…" Rainbow trailed off as she looked around and noticed that the landscape had suddenly changed.

Instead of the bright, cheerful colors that had dotted the field before, everything was a gloomy, dismal grey. It was as though the color had suddenly been sucked from everything around her. Rainbow frowned and then shivered. This place without color was dull and depressing; the feelings she'd felt before were slowly vanishing. _It looks like the work of Murky…but he's nowhere to be found…he's usually so quick to make his work known! _This thought puzzled her. If it wasn't Murky, then who could have taken all the color away?

Hesitantly, Rainbow continued forward, finding more of the grey landscape. "Oh!" she said with a start, when she remembered the pouch at her waist. She opened the pouch and carefully took out a green star sprinkle, not wanting to waste the small supply that she had. She held the star sprinkle to her Color Belt. At first, nothing happened, and Rainbow wondered if her Color Belt was somehow broken. A few moments later, a faint glimmer of light appeared and absorbed the star sprinkle. A rainbow beam shot from her belt and enveloped the land in front of her. A path of green paved the way. Rainbow reached for another star sprinkle, but stopped short suddenly.

Rainbow gasped and raised a hand to cover her mouth. "Oh no!" she whispered. The path of color that the star sprinkle had created was gone. As quickly as she had made it appear, it had gone, sucked away. Rainbow looked ahead, in the distance, noticing something that she hadn't seen before. It looked like another person, but she couldn't be sure. She slowly made her way toward the person.

The person she saw was enshrouded in shadows. Rainbow had no idea who it was, only that it looked like a girl. The hair was in a ponytail of sorts, and it looked as though she was wearing a dress. Rainbow could discern no other physical features. Tendrils of grey wisps streaked out from underneath her, as though she was the one responsible for this gloom that could not be fixed by simple star sprinkles.

"You're the one doing all this!" stated Rainbow. "Why? The land needs the color to surive!"

The girl looked up at Rainbow, but said nothing. She appeared as though she was bored, and quickly looked back down at the ground again.

"Can't you speak? You need to stop this. Everything will die if you don't. Don't you see?"

She was answered with a shrug and nothing more. A few more tendrils streaked out from beneath the girl, which could be taken as a reply that she didn't care in the least. Rainbow had no idea what she could do. She reached for the pouch at her waist, pulling out a blue star sprinkle. She pressed it to her Color Belt, and again, the Color Belt was slow to respond. It shot forth a rainbow beam that enveloped the shadow girl completely.

Rainbow gasped when the rainbow beam disappeared. The shadow surrounding the girl had not disappeared, but now, a set of striking green eyes looked back at her, angry. Rainbow took a few steps backward, not expecting this. The eyes that had suddenly appeared disappeared just as suddenly.

_This is not something that can be solved so easily_ a voice interjected inside Rainbow's head.

"Who's there?" Rainbow called, searching for the source.

_It's not always as easy as using star sprinkles_ continued the voice.

Rainbow realized that the voice was coming from inside her head. It seemed impossible. She wondered if it was the girl speaking to her, but then she realized she knew that voice. It was the same voice that had brought her to Rainbow Land in the first place, and the one that she'd grown up hearing all her life.

_Some problems take more than a quick fix. Time and effort is needed little Wisp. You should know that all too well._

Her original name was not something she'd heard in a long time. If she didn't know who was speaking before, she certainly did now. "How do I solve a problem that I don't even know about?" she asked out loud.

_You will know in due time, Wisp. It will come about sooner than you expect. Days or years, it will come to Rainbow Land. Remember the time it took you to complete your quest. That was a test of your abilities._

"I'm still not sure what you mean. Is Murky going to cause trouble? He always does that."

_I cannot tell you what it is that will come to Rainbow Land. I only know that it is something you will have to take care of, and it will not be an easy task. However, if you prevail, you'll find that it will benefit Rainbow Land in due time. Good luck, Wisp._ With that final goodbye, the voice seemed to disappear from her head.

Rainbow shook her head to clear her thoughts. Now that the voice was gone, her head felt emptier than usual. She looked toward the shadow girl again and then looked down. The tendrils of grey she'd seen earlier were snaking their way up her boots, turning the parts they touched as grey as the landscape around her. She took a few more steps backward, and then turned tail, breaking into a full run. She glanced down, noticing the tendrils still stuck to her, and were continuing their way up her body. She continued to run and run and run…

Until she woke up, sitting straight up in bed. She was doused in a cold sweat. Rainbow looked around at her surroundings, noticing that she was back in her own bedroom. It was sunrise, and the first faint rays of light were creeping into her window. "That was some dream," she said aloud in a soft voice. "It was…what was it about?" Already, the last faint remnants of the dream were fading away, slipping from her memory.

Throwing back the covers, she slid from the bed. She padded lightly across the floor and to a nearby window. She pushed it open and looked off into the distance, watching as the sun began to rise on Rainbow Land. Indigo and pinks and oranges melded and mixed together and Rainbow watched, resting her chin on her hand, elbow resting on the window sill. Another new day in Rainbow Land and she knew there was much work to be done. She needed to take Starlite and survey around the area, making sure everything was just so and that Murky had not interfered where he shouldn't.

"It's going to be another beautiful day," she said to no one in particular, sighing happily. She turned when she heard the unmistakable sound of Twink behind her.

"You're up early, Rainbow," he commented, yawning. "I usually wake you up."

Rainbow started to tell him about being woken by a dream, but decided against it. She couldn't remember what the dream was about, and knew that she couldn't answer his questions. "I just woke up early today. The sunrise was beautiful," she remarked, gesturing toward the window.

"What are we doing today?" asked Twink.

"Well, I figured that you and I could make a trip across Rainbow Land and make sure all the colors are just right. We'll need some star sprinkles to bring along, just in case."

Twink nodded happily. "I can go talk to the other sprites once they head to the Color Mines. I'm sure they have plenty I can take."

Rainbow smiled. "Thanks, Twink."

"Are you feeling better after last night?" inquired the white sprite.

The question caught Rainbow off-guard. She then remembered that she had went up to see Twink in the middle of the night. "Yes, I am. I realize that you and Buddy were right. Come on. I bet the rest of the Kids are starting to wake up too." She smiled and headed for the door of her bedroom, followed by Twink. There was something nagging her in the back of her mind, but she didn't know what it was. Whatever it was, it didn't seem too important.

**This has been one of my favorite chapters to write. I wanted to do another dream sequence and I wanted to also explore Rainbow's more easy going nature and trust prior to the Monstromurk and maturity as the protector of Rainbow Land. I hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Stubbornness

**I really love how this chapter turned out. It's indeed a favorite one, though so far I like pretty much all of my chapters, but there are a few favorites that I have. I've also been working on tester chapters for a new Rainbow Brite longshot that I have in mind. Currently, I'm just writing the chapters and posting them on the RBforums as I finish them. They'll be posted here once I get a better idea of where I want to take it. So far though, it's pretty good and believe it or not, I wrote those two chapters and a bit for chapter 11 of Lost Storms, all within a week's time. I'm trying to work pretty hard this summer and do my best at my fanfic writing, which I've failed with before in the past. I have a new outlook this summer though! Anyway, enjoy :)**

**Chapter 8 Stubbornness**

She reached up, using the lavender mane to pull herself up upon Skydancer's back. She held on, waiting for what Skydancer's next move would be. As if on cue, Skydancer reared back on hind legs and let out a loud whinny. Stormy held on tightly, not saying a word. It seemed to be Skydancer's way of being defiant. The first few times she'd been able to mount him, he'd caught her off guard; he'd reared up and Stormy had fallen from his backside. She remembered how Skydancer would snort a reply at his fallen rider, the fog rolling from his nostrils. Now he seemed to accept that she would mount him, but he nevertheless showed his dislike at having someone upon his back. Tiny hands merely held tightly to the mane until he settled down, having made a point.

_~ Flashback ~_

Stormy had no idea how long it'd been since she'd received Skydancer as a present. It hadn't _seemed_ long, but she had no way to keep track of the passage of time, nor knew about things such as days and weeks and months and years anymore. Time was merely where she was, this present that she lived in. The lack of sunlight and moonlight did not help her any to show that one day had become night, which would lead to another day. She was too young to have ever learned about how time was kept in her world, and here no one said a word to her. A day finished when she felt tired and went to bed. A new day began when she woke up or was woken up by Murky or Lurky to take care of another task. It was all she knew now, and all that it seemed she had ever known.

She had been patient with her training of Skydancer, which was hard for Stormy to do. However, being patient was better than the alternative of being bruised every night she went to bed. The pain wasn't especially pleasant. Each session, she had come to the place where Skydancer was stabled, usually finding that Lurky would trail behind her, babbling about taking care of the "horsey" or fetching food that he somehow was able to procure. Lurky's insistence on caring for Skydancer left Stormy free to take care of training him, though it was proving to be more difficult. Stormy had no word for Skydancer's actions, though an observer might describe them part of being stubborn.

Today she was going to try to mount him. She had sat and talked to him, trying to rile him up. Much of what she had told him was lies. She only used what Murky had told her about Rainbow and her horse and then elaborated on it with a child's glee. Lying was very easy, especially when it was a horse you were trying to fool. There was no way she could be caught; Murky wouldn't care about what some horse knew, and Lurky was too stupid to know. Stupid had easily become a favorite word; she had picked it up from Murky.

Stormy entered the room and took a deep breath. Today she would see if her talking and patience would pay off. In her hand she held an apple, her usual peace offering to Skydancer. She didn't care much for the fruit; pushing it aside at breakfast. Now she just set it aside to give it to Skydancer. However, instead of placing the treat on the floor near where Skydancer stood, she gathered her courage and walked toward Skydancer, apple in hand. Skydancer took one look at her and went back to staring at the stone wall in front of him. Stormy gulped, and raised the apple in her palm, tiny hand raised upward toward Skydancer's uninterested head. _Take the apple! Take it! _She yelled inside her head. Skydancer's head turned to her suddenly, as though he could read her thoughts. Stormy took a step backward, but her hand was still extended upward. "Please," she begged, though it came out in more of a squeak.

Skydancer looked down at the apple and took the entire thing in one huge bite. He munched on the apple, bits and pieces falling from his mouth. Stormy lowered her hand, not enjoying the now sticky feeling of the bits of saliva on it. She wiped it off on her dress, but still looked at her right hand with disgust. She stepped further back, giving Skydancer space. She was determined to mount the horse today, but she realized that she didn't know how she was going to do it. She tried to recall seeing how it was done before, only then to remember that she'd never seen horses before Murky had given Skydancer to her.

Stormy looked about the room, trying to figure out what to do. What was left of yesterday's pile of hay was in one corner. There was some type of brush in another corner that belonged to Lurky. A tiny wooden stool was near the brush. In another corner were odds and ends of Lurky's – a ball, paper, and a bell. He often would bring things for the horsey to play with. Stormy wasn't surprised when the "horsey" didn't want to play like Lurky expected. She couldn't stand playing with him either. Her eyes settled on the stool again. It might work. She could use it to stand on, and then somehow pull herself up onto his back. Her eyes drifted from the stool to Skydancer. Studying him, an idea came to her. She could use the stool to stand on, and then grab Skydancer's mane to pull herself the rest of the way up.

A few minutes passed by, and Stormy still stood, considering her plan. It _could_ work and she _should_ try it. After all, she had promised herself she was going to mount Skydancer today. Standing around doing nothing was her way of putting off the inevitable. Slowly, she moved across the room to fetch the stool. She carried to Skydancer, and set it down by his side. Skydancer paid no attention to her, sparing only a glance for the stool before he went back to staring at the wall. Stormy looked up at Skydancer, his backside seeming a long way from the ground now that she looked at it. She stepped up onto the stool, and reached out to pet Skydancer. Still, the horse spared no attention to her. The warmth radiating from his body was soothing. Stormy sighed and then looked at him again. It was now or never.

Her fingers grabbed lavender mane gently, and her feet raised off the stool some, testing what she was about to do. Skydancer now watched her, and she grew even more nervous, knowing that even he was paying attention to her actions. Without thinking further, she pulled on his mane and used it to hoist herself up on his backside. Skydancer whinnied, and backed away from the corner. Wide-eyed, Stormy tried grabbed for his mane, but he was thrashing around too much.

When Skydancer reared up on hind legs, her tiny legs could not grip his sides enough to keep her on his back and she slid off, landing hard on her side. She only felt intense pain as tears formed in her eyes. She looked up and noticed that Skydancer still had not settled and was close to stepping on her. She rolled away, even though it hurt to do so. She could hear Skydancer starting to settle down, but she didn't care. Her hands gripped at her side, knowing it would be bruised and sore for quite some time.

Stormy had no idea how long she laid on the ground crying. She didn't want to move; every time she tried, it would hurt too much. Instead, she just stayed put, the cold from the stone seeping into her clothes. When she became too cold to even feel any comfort from lying still, she knew she had to get up and to her room. She turned her head, just barely able to glimpse Skydancer. The horse was back to the same position he'd been in when she'd first came to see him. His tail flicked back and forth as he faced the wall. It was as though she wasn't even there.

Slowly, she forced herself to sit up, stopping in place every time the pain flared on her side. It had to be bruised; she could sense it. She wanted to lay back down, to keep the pain from hurting so much, but she knew that she had to move. She didn't want Lurky or Murky to find her. She could hear Murky's voice inside her head, knowing that he'd have nothing good to say, only to insult her. Dreading having to face him, even for a few minutes was enough motivation for her to try again to pull herself up. She was able to get into a sitting position, and then drag herself to her feet.

Walking was quite a different story. Her right side flared in pain each time she raised her foot to take another step forward. She continued on with her strange hobble and made it to the stairwell that would take her to her room, feeling lucky that she hadn't met anyone along the way. As soon as she even let herself think that, she heard the unmistakable footsteps of Lurky, along with his attempts at humming. She knew his destination and wished that she'd have been able to leave earlier than she had, just so she wouldn't have encountered him at all. She continued up the stairs as far as she could before stopping, hearing his footsteps growing ever closer. She put her back to the wall, using it to support herself and to hide her strange walk. The less questions that Lurky could ask, the better. Answering him was tiring, and she knew it would easily go back to Murky in some fashion.

"Hiya!" called Lurky, waving to her as he descended the stairs.

"Hi," replied Stormy tersely, wishing for him to keep on going.

"Didja go see the horsey yet?" he asked eagerly.

Stormy nodded. "He needs food."

"Oh, I'll get more food for him!" Gleefully, Lurky continued down the stairs without incident.

Stormy breathed a sigh of relief, listening to his retreating footsteps. When she couldn't hear them anymore, she turned and continued the slow climb. Once inside her room, she sighed again, this time thankful that she hadn't run into Murky as well. She walked the last few steps to her bed and crawled upon it, favoring her left side. Her side ached and throbbed from all the walking. She touched it gently, each time setting off a new spasm of pain that lasted only a few seconds, but was enough to make her wince. She'd look at the bruise later, but for now, she forced herself to try and sleep. Sleep would help dull the pain for a little while.

_~End Flashback~_

To Stormy, that incident had occurred a little bit ago. She knew that days had passed. To anyone else, it was a few weeks ago. She had stopped training Skydancer for a few days, resting and healing herself before trying again. When she felt well enough to return, she merely sat and talked to Skydancer, again weaving lies into a story that sounded good, even to her. By this point, her story had grown. Rainbow Brite was this girl who wanted to keep everything colorful and used her horse to help do that. Her horse could now shoot beams from its eyes that would put color into anything; no horse had the power to do that but hers. As always, Skydancer had acted nonchalant, but still willingly took the apple every day that she offered.

Trying to get up the courage to remount Skydancer had taken time. And then, she had fallen off yet again, not quick enough to grab at Skydancer's mane. She was prepared for the fall this time, and managed to fall into a roll, keeping herself from bruising so much. It had taken a few more tries before she had realized that it would be best to keep ahold of the mane after she swung herself up onto Skydancer. The day she tried that was the day that everything changed. When Skydancer reared, she stayed put, hands gripping tightly to the lavender mane. It seemed like forever before Skydancer settled. He had tried moving about, wanting to bounce her off, but she held tightly, not wanting to lose when she had come so far.

Now, Skydancer would merely raise up on hind legs, still hoping that he could get rid of his stubborn rider. Stormy had learned to accept this, knowing that he was as reluctant to be ridden as she was to ride him. She indeed wanted to try, but she didn't think it was necessary that she had a horse to do so. Murky still insisted and so she kept working. He would not take no for an answer.

Feeling tall, Stormy sat up straighter on Skydancer's back. She looked around the room, noting how far away from the ground she seemed to be. She was not eager to fall again, but she knew that now that she had been able to mount Skydancer, the next step was trying to actually ride him. This new task made her nervous all over again. She was afraid that once she had taken Skydancer outside that he would try to run from her. She did not know that Lurky would always walk him on a rope after she had finished training each day.

Just as she was about to try, she realized one thing – she had no idea how to make him move forward! What did she do? Tell him? Was there some sort of command to make him walk? What about turning? This was too confusing. Stormy's brow furrowed in thought. Just what was she supposed to do? She sat there, still holding on, pondering what to do. She felt a sudden jerk below her, but paid no attention, thinking it was Skydancer trying to get rid of her again. Only when she looked up did she realize that Skydancer was not trying to get rid of her. Instead, he had backed himself up and was walking toward the exit to the cave at the far end. Stormy's legs automatically tightened around Skydancer, her fear that Skydancer would try to knock her off once again.

Skydancer ignored the change in his rider's attitude, continuing toward the exit. Stormy gulped, but held tightly to his mane, waiting to see what would happen. She just couldn't dismount while he was moving, yet she feared that he would try to escape with her on him. What could she do then, if he tried to do such a thing? Her eyes wandered down to the cave floor, noting how far away it seemed. She'd fallen off Skydancer enough times to know it was a painful fall; she wondered just how much more painful it'd be if he were moving at a fast pace.

Stormy shook her head, angry at herself. She could do this. She wasn't going to be scared and act like a baby. Sitting up taller, she took a new outlook on her situation. _If Skydancer tries to run away, that means I go with him. I'd be able to run away too._ Such a thought had never crossed her mind before. She was surprised to find that the idea was a bit fun to think about. She wouldn't need to have Murky tell her she could go and defeat Rainbow; she could do it herself.

As they exited the cave, Stormy took note of her surroundings; she couldn't recall the last time she'd been outside Murky's lair. She realized that she'd been so wrapped up in training Skydancer that she had neglected her own training. A quick glance at the storm clouds reminded her that she always itched to make something happen, yearned to manipulate the clouds into doing what she wanted. She looked down at Skydancer, who still appeared oblivious to her. A new idea crossed her mind. What if she showed Skydancer what she could do?

She raised her hand to the sky, pointing a finger to the nearest storm cloud. She could feel the energy it radiated, and knew it would work perfectly. She concentrated, focusing on bringing the energy into a condensed area and then- _Crack! _A brilliant flash of white struck down in front of them, twenty feet away. All the while, her feet gripped Skydancer's sides and she held onto his mane tightly with her left hand. As she had expected, he reared up in fear, surprised at the lightning strike. "I did that," she stated when Skydancer settled onto all fours. "I have the power to do that and more. I'm only learning, but I will be much stronger someday."

Skydancer trotted onward, heading up the pathway that overlooked the Pits. Stormy became annoyed that her show of power had not made a difference. She looked to the sky again, sensing the same storm cloud still in the vicinity. _I'll show him again… maybe he thinks I didn't do that_. Again, she raised her hand to the sky, searching out the energy she needed. Her fingers deftly pulled the cloud closer again, before she tugged at the energy. Another white flash of lightning struck the ground twenty feet away. Skydancer reared up as Stormy held tightly once more.

This time, Stormy said nothing. There was no need to. Lightning was not going to strike so near in such a short time period. She wondered if Skydancer knew that. He was just a horse, but he might be able to tell…Stormy wasn't certain. She relaxed her hold some on his mane as he continued up the path, stopping at the edge of the cliff at the top. It was one of the highest points in the Pits, overlooking Murky's lair. Everything seemed much farther away. This was a part of the Pits she had never been to before; she normally was kept to the lower cliffs.

As she sat upon Skydancer, something stirred deep inside her. She felt as though this is the view she should be taking on the Pits, not stuck inside of it. It was yet another thought that she had never considered before. It just came out of nowhere. Why had she never thought of it before? What was causing it all of a sudden? Her eyes scanned over the dismal landscape, wondering why. It was something that she couldn't figure out. Silently, she continued observing the landscape, trying not to think of anything. If she could clear her mind, everything would be peaceful.

By the time that Skydancer turned around to walk back to the cave, Stormy's mind was somewhere else. She was focused on figuring out what to do next for training, and how that could benefit her in the end. She had no plan at this point, and knew that for Skydancer to accept her as his true rider, she needed to prove it to him. How was the question.


	10. Defiance and Clouds

**I'm gonna try to stick to a weekly schedule with this story. I have the backlog to fall back on right now, so that does help with things a little. I'm halfway through chapter 12 right now as we speak. I can't guarantee such a schedule will stick, as often times I get inspired to work on another story as well, or a tiny sentence will trigger an idea for a completely different story. I am determined that this story be finished and that's that. I won't let it fall to the wayside like I've done with some Power Ranger stories of mine. Keep me on task, eh? Anyway, enjoy this chapter; you'll find that the next chapter brings some interesting changes :)**

**Chapter 9 Defiance and Clouds**

"Stormy! I need you in my lab right now!" shouted Murky up the stairwell. It was early in the morning and he had just risen from bed. He had an idea for training, and wanted Stormy to get right to work. She'd spent the past few days solely with Skydancer, working diligently with the horse. Murky didn't mind, but he didn't want her ignoring her training as well. He smiled at the thought that with every passing day, he was getting closer to beating Rainbow Brite. Rainbow Land would be a distant memory once he finished with it. Minutes passed, but Stormy did not make an appearance. "Stormy!" he called.

"I'm busy!" was the reply he received.

"Don't speak to me like that! You listen when I tell you to do something!" Murky then realized that Stormy had not had her glass of gloom variant yet that morning. He quickly spun and turned to face a different direction. "Lurky! Take the girl her breakfast!" he yelled.

Being as patient as he could, Murky gave Stormy an hour to eat and have the gloom variant take effect. He then yelled for her again. "Stormy! In my lab!" He waited, but did not receive an immediate response. A few minutes later, he was about to make a trip up to her room when she finally arrived in his laboratory. "Where have you been?" he asked.

"In my room," replied Stormy. "I was getting ready to go train Skydancer."

"Why didn't you come right away when I called?" asked Murky accusingly.

"I wanted to finish what I was doing first," replied Stormy.

Murky studied her for a moment. _Could she be growing immune to the gloom variant finally? _he wondered to himself. _It's very possible that she's immune to its effects. I should test her and see... I can't have her defying me!_ "Come here," commanded Murky. He knew that in years past, Stormy would automatically obey his command and be at his side in an instant.

"For what?" asked Stormy, cocking her head to the side.

Murky rubbed his chin, forcing the anger that was threatening to bubble over to cease and desist. "I see… off with you now."

Stormy looked confused. "Why did you call me down here?"

"No reason that you need to no. Go on now!" he commanded sternly. "I'll call you again when I need you."

Stormy shrugged, leaving the laboratory. Murky quickly went to his bookshelf and pulled the journal off the shelf that he'd kept notes on the various gloom variants with. He flipped through the pages, looking at the last recorded variant that had been the version used on Stormy after her arrival in the Pits. It was too weak to use now, and Murky had to strengthen it without compromising any of the other elements. He didn't want to have to deal with side effects yet again. Setting the book on the table, he gathered the necessary ingredients and set to work mixing up a new gloom variant.

Stormy made her way to Skydancer's room, entering silently. Skydancer still stood in his favorite dark corner, but no longer ignored Stormy as he used to. He paid attention to her when he felt like it, and ignored her at other times. Stormy knew she was getting closer to proving that she could be worthy of being his rider. After she had demonstrated her powers to him, he'd begun to slowly come around. Still, he was quite stubborn and not always trusting of her. She hoped to break that someday.

After dealing with Murky, she felt like going for a ride. She'd gotten used to Skydancer and would urge him to ride on faster, until the wind whipped about all around her. It reminded her of a vicious storm, one that would whip the rain and pelt anything nearby with stinging nettles of water. She swung up onto Skydancer's back and spurred her ankle into his side. Skydancer turned to the entrance and began a slow trot that quickly became a gallop before he broke out into a run once they'd emerged into the dark outdoors. Stormy held tightly to Skydancer's mane, her only goal to enjoy the ride and the adrenaline rush that it provided. The duo ran off into the hills and up into the high cliffs.

Suddenly, Stormy urged Skydancer to stop in a particular spot. She had climbed to the highest point in the Pits and could see everything for miles around. There was Murky's castle, almost blending in with the surrounding areas, save for the black smoke plume that rose from the top. Stormy turned her eyes toward the far horizon. There, the light was much brighter, much more cheerful. It was the place Murky called Rainbow Land, the place where Rainbow Brite lived. Someday, she knew she'd end up there and defeat the bright and cheerful girl. Murky said that it was her destiny to do so.

Stormy was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Skydancer leap gracefully from the cliff. His legs pumped as he flew through the air and up into the dark sky. Thunder rumbled loudly and the air became cooler. Stormy took notice when she began to shiver. She looked down and saw the ground far below her. Blinking, she looked forward, noting that they were flying through the sky. She looked down again. The landscape seemed very far from them. Fear started to creep up on her. "Skydancer….what… how... where…." She trembled as she spoke.

Skydancer gave no notice of hearing her. Instinctively, he continued forward. Stormy watched with wide eyes as he flew straight into a cloud. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a soft mist on her skin before once again opening her eyes. It was dark inside. Stormy slid from Skydancer's back and her feet sunk a little ways into the cloud before stopping. She could feel the soft rumble of thunder beneath her feet. Slowly, she walked around the cloud, taking in her surroundings. Reaching out a hand, she made to touch the surface, the fluffy-like shape of the cloud itself. Her fingers clasped around the substance and instantly she felt a low humming against her fingers, a rhythm unseen.

"Skydancer, how did you do this? How'd we get here?" she asked, full well knowing the answer, but still wondering if she was dreaming. She'd seen Skydancer fly, felt like she was on his back as they glided through the air without any wings to aid them.

Skydancer whinnied a reply and turned away from Stormy, effectively ignoring her. Undaunted and used to such treatment, Stormy made her way to the edge of the cloud cover, stepping carefully, hoping that she wouldn't fall through. Her feet stayed on the soft ground and she looked out before her, taking in the landscape. Up here, she could see everything. It was hard to pinpoint any specific locations, but now she had a better vantage point of the area. Not only could she see the Pits, but in the distance she now could see Rainbow Land in its bright splendor. There were no grey clouds, no darkness. It was all bright and cheerful. Stormy shuddered at the thought before turning her back on the scene.

Thrusting her hand out, Stormy closed her eyes and sensed the weather around her. She could feel the strength of the storm. It was so close to her fingertips. The raw power that was within this cloud was much stronger than what she had ever felt on the Earth. There, distance between herself and the nearest storm was far and thus the strength and power she felt was much less. Now, so close to the source of the storm, the power crackled and buzzed. Tempted, she pulled more storm clouds closer, noticing how quickly they responded to her call. Up here, there was more power, more force, and a better connection to the storms she longed to create.

An idea crept into her head and she smirked at the thought. Making her way to the edge of the cloud again, she looked out, seeking the out of place brightness of Rainbow Land. She couldn't have that at all. Placing her hand directly in front of her, fingers splayed, she commanded storm clouds to gather over Rainbow Land, to create a storm such as they'd never seen before. The wind blew around Stormy, and she concentrated on moving closer to Rainbow Land, feeling the power erupting from her fingers. She put her energy into the cloud, thunder and lightning striking below her. Skydancer galloped about, every stomp producing heavy rainfall.

Patty O'Green ran for the Color Castle, trying to escape the heavy rain that fell in buckets. Sprites had already run past her, heading for the safety and warmth of their homes. She'd been out in Green Grange with Lucky, spreading green star sprinkles over the field there. A once sunny day had quickly turned ugly, and now nothing but thick grey clouds covered the sky. Her green hair and clothing was plastered against her, and the falling rain was cold on her skin. Lucky ran beside her, keeping his arms over his head to try and keep the rain off. It wasn't doing very good, but it was his defense mechanism.

She quickly entered the Color Castle and pushed the door shut behind her, sinking to the floor. She was exhausted from running, and cold from her wet clothing. Lucky sat beside her, breathing hard after all the running. He was dripping wet and starting to shiver. Unwillingly, she rose to her feet and took her sprite in her arms. She headed for the stairs, knowing that she could dry off and change in her room. On her way up, she met Rainbow, who was coming down. "Patty! You're soaked! And Lucky looks so cold!" she exclaimed.

"It just started pouring suddenly," explained Patty as she continued up the stairs. Rainbow turned and followed her. "I don't know where it came from. It just started. One moment it was sunny, and the next it was pouring rain."

"I wonder where it came from," pondered Rainbow. A huge roll of thunder made both girls jump. They looked at each other and smiled nervously.

"I don't know… Maybe Murky's up to trouble again."

Rainbow held open the door to Patty's room. The two girls made their way inside. Patty sat Lucky down on a chair and went scrounging for a towel. Rainbow sat on Patty's bed. "I don't know. He's been pretty quiet lately. Maybe he's trying to cause trouble. His last visit didn't work so well."

Patty found a towel under a pile of clothes in her closet. She returned to Lucky and began toweling him dry. Rainbow took the towel from her and continued what she'd started. Patty went in search of another outfit. "He's never learned that the star sprinkles will never be his," commented Patty from somewhere deep in her closet. Moments later, she stepped out, dressed in dry clothing. "Do you think he ever will?"

"Will what?" asked Rainbow as she scratched the back of Lucky's head. The sprite smiled and chattered happily.

"Will ever learn. Do you think he will?"

"No one knows when it comes to him," answered Rainbow honestly. She handed the damp towel back to Patty.

"It'd be much easier if we just knew what he was doing."

From up in the sky, Stormy smirked. The bright light she'd seen coming from Rainbow Land had quickly disappeared. Everywhere she turned now looked like the Pits. She felt satisfied with her work and sat on the cloud to watch the storm play out. She'd set the major factors in motion. She'd set up the lightning, thunder, and downpour of rain. Now all that was left to do was to watch it play out before her. Skydancer settled down and stood beside her. No words were spoken, as both horse and rider enjoyed the tumult of the storm together.

"Lurky! Find her! I need her now!" roared Murky. He'd searched the castle from top to bottom after calling endlessly for Stormy, with no luck. There was no reply to his endless calls. Sending Lurky after her might be a better idea, though he didn't know how luck the bumbling assistant would have. At any rate, it saved him the trouble from having to do it himself.

"Okay Murky!" agreed Lurky without hesitation. He ran off and Murky knew he'd head for the stable room before anything else. He would want to look there because of Skydancer. Sometimes Murky wondered whether Lurky was growing too attached to the creature.

Lurky covered the entire area of the lair, and had no luck in his search. He scratched the top of his head. "I wonder where she is?" he asked himself. He stood near the entrance to the lair and heard the thunder and lightning just outside the door. He looked outside suddenly. "I've got it!" he cried happily. He walked outside and cupped a hand to his mouth. "Stormy! Stormy! Where are you?" Lurky walked along the paths around the Pits near the lair, slowly making his way around in circles. Still, he had no luck. All he could hear and see was the darkened sky splattered with lightning.

Skydancer nudged Stormy after awhile, showing his intention to leave. "Not yet, Skydancer," replied Stormy, waving him away. Skydancer continued to nudge Stormy's shoulder, sensing that they needed to head back. "Fine, fine," grumbled Stormy after a few more minutes of being nudged.

Stormy rose to her feet and swung up onto Skydancer's back. She held tightly to his mane as he jumped from the cloud. Instinct told her that she'd end up free-falling and land smashed onto the ground. Reality told her that Skydancer was able to glide smoothly toward a flat area in the Pits and land gently on all four hooves. She slid off Skydancer, blinking. Her legs felt strange, as though they weren't used to solid ground. She stood still for a few minutes, gathering her senses and making sure that her legs wouldn't buckle underneath her. She looked at her surroundings as she waited, and groaned at the sight she saw.

"There you are! Murky wants ta see ya!" called Lurky cheerfully. He tried his best to run toward her, but his loose shoelaces tripped him up. Lurky fell forward and landed heavily on the unforgiving ground. However, he acted as though the fall didn't phase him, quickly rising to his feet once more.

"I'll be in," replied Stormy, as she climbed onto Skydancer's back once more. She wondered what Murky was up to this time.

Stormy soon found out Murky's intentions. She made her way to his laboratory, following the sounds of angry shouts and the smell of some sort of food. She entered to see a table set in the corner, Murky in another. He was scribbling something into one of his books and Stormy could see part of a grin that seemed to cover his face. He appeared to be pretty happy about something. "You wanted me?"

Murky hopped off his stool and turned to face her. "Yes, I did. I wanted to check up on your training with Skydancer. Lunch seemed the best time to do so. Have a seat." Murky gestured to the nearest chair. Stormy looked at him. He was being nice…too nice. She ignored the feeling in her gut and instead sat down. A light lunch covered the table – bread, some sort of purplish berries, and small chunks of meat in a broth. At her place was a glass of the all too familiar juice. "Go ahead and eat," he encouraged, picking up some of the berries and tossing them into his mouth.

Stormy reached for the glass of juice, feeling a bit parched. As she raised the glass to her lips, the smell wafted to her noise. It was stronger than it had been before. Tentatively, she took a sip, tasting it. It was more bitter on her tongue, more sour. She made a face and sat the glass down. "This is disgusting," she remarked.

"It's a…different sort of berry. A bit more bitter than you're used to, but it's all I could find," lied Murky. "You need the vitamins from it." Truthfully, he had no way to completely mask the bitter taste once he had increased the potency of the gloom variant. It had been the only thing that had hypothesized would have no side effects. It was merely a stronger combination of the previous variant.

The meal continued in silence, but Stormy obeyed Murky's command and continued to slowly drain the glass of juice. Murky kept one eye on her behavior as he ate, noticing that she drank more juice with each time she picked up the glass. He watched as she cleared her plate and then sat silently. A half hour had passed, enough time for the variant to have entered her bloodstream and begin to take effect. It was time to test this new variant and see exactly how much control he now had over the girl. "Stormy, get me that book off my lab table," he commanded.

Wordlessly, Stormy slid from her chair and retrieved the book from the lab table, bringing it right back to Murky. She set it on the table in front of him and stood, waiting for further orders. "Ah, good!" he exclaimed. "You may go to your room for the rest of the day. You'll need to rest up for your training session with Skydancer tomorrow."

Stormy turned and made her way toward her room. She felt something tugging at the back of her mind, like she'd suddenly forgotten something. She couldn't recall how she had felt before lunch. She couldn't remember what she'd been thinking about. All she remembered was the storm she'd created and the cloud adventure with Skydancer. The tugging disappeared as quickly as it'd come, and she focused on obeying Murky's command. Her body moved forward on autopilot. She didn't realize it, but she'd been pulled back into his clutches and power, without the ability to think on her own once more.


	11. Glimpse

**I finished Chapter 13 tonight and decided I'd post Chapter 10 here early, just cause I'm nice like that. :P I kid, I kid. Look for an author's note at the end of this chapter and your chance to contribute your own ideas for future chapters!**

**Chapter 10 Glimpse**

Stormy relaxed in a chair as she listened to Murky's lecture for the day. Small as ever, she looked bright and eager to listen, but it was merely the gloom variant from that morning that was acting as the control. Time had passed, but as before, she remained as small as ever. Without realizing it, she had aged to just beyond her eighteenth year, and had spent more than 12 years with Murky Dismal. Memories of her life before living with Murky had faded away, and she was left with a large blank in her memory. She could no longer recall her mother or the home she had grown up in. Everything consisted of Murky and his teachings.

Today was another lecture on color and the positive effects of plunging Rainbow Land into darkness. This Rainbow Brite sure seemed like she knew it all. What was so good about color anyway? No one needed color to survive. Color wasn't needed to be happy. Why did people need to be happy anyway? Stormy scoffed. No one needed color that much.

"…And because you've done so well, we're going to focus on Rainbow some more," began Murky. "Tomorrow I'm taking you to Rainbow Land. You're going to spy on Rainbow with me and report back with what you see."

Stormy swung her legs back and forth. "Okay," she answered.

"It's time that you began your battle. I've taught you everything you need to know about color and that brat. Now we prepare to take action."

Stormy sat up straighter in her chair at the mention of Rainbow. "What do I do?" she asked.

"You'll go with me to Rainbow Land tomorrow. I want you to begin spying on Rainbow Brite and her friends. I want to see what you can find out."

"What if they find me?" asked Stormy.

"You'll pretend to be friendly and make peace. Gain Rainbow's trust and you'll be fine. Just don't mention me. That could cause trouble." Murky rubbed at his chin, appearing deep in thought.

"What about Skydancer?" asked Stormy.

"Skydancer will stay here. You'll use him later. For now, your only concern is spying on that Rainbow brat and her friends," stated Murky, clenching a fist in front of him. Stormy didn't know what he could be picturing in his mind, but it apparently made him quite happy. "I want you to go to your room and rest up for the rest of the day. You'll come out tomorrow when I call for you."

Automatically, Stormy's legs moved and she slid from the chair she sat on. Robotically, they began walking and Stormy had no say in the matter at all. She was used to this, and it didn't seem strange at all that her limbs would move without ever being told to. Closing her door, she walked to the lone table and chair in her room. Upon it sat a book, one that Murky had taught her to read. It dealt with the explanation of gloomy theory and why colors had to be dispelled. Murky had written it himself after years of study and research. With the book, Stormy understood more thoroughly why color had to be destroyed. Rainbow Land was not meant to be such a happy, cheerful place. The entire world should be plunged into darkness, just as it had been before. Darkness exemplified her storms and powers. When was the last time that anyone saw a thunderstorm with plenty of colors? Never.

Smirking, Stormy thought of her unique power, the ability she had now to control the stormy weather she felt she had been named after. Not only could she manipulate the weather to strike down any target she deemed an enemy, but she could also ride the clouds with Skydancer, drawing from the power source directly, instead of at a distance. Skydancer aided her as her means of transportation and extra pull in the storm. Through training him, she had discovered that he could help affect the storm by galloping about, which could cause rain or lightning to spill forth from the cloud, depending on his mood. As rider and horse, they had formed a bond slowly and were inseparable. Stormy didn't want to leave Skydancer behind tomorrow, but Murky's orders were to be followed, without question. Even as the thought crossed her mind, she instinctively thought that Skydancer didn't belong on the trip.

The next day, Stormy was summoned from her room after breakfast. Lurky cleared away the dishes while Murky grabbed a gloom gun, one of his favorite inventions. He slung the strap around his neck and looked at the girl before him, smirking. Yes, his plan was finally beginning to take effect. It had taken many seasons, but he had finally trained the sniveling, crying brat with the uncontrollable powers to become a power machine, capable of creating large destructive storms and obeying his every command. It all seemed too good to be true and he was going to test Stormy today to make sure that he wasn't making a mistake. The girl would help him spy on Rainbow and then eventually attack. He felt confident that Stormy would take to this new mission well. After all, she'd picked up on his gloom theory quickly enough. Now she followed his beliefs, but how closely was the question. He would soon find out.

He led Stormy outside where Lurky had parked the grunge buggy. The engine sputtered as he climbed onto the back behind Lurky while Stormy got into the trash container that served as the passenger sidecar. "Let's go, banana brain and make sure you aren't seen by anyone!" commanded Murky.

"Right away, Murky!" called Lurky happily as he turned the grunge buggy toward the path that lead directly out of the Pits.

Stormy watched all of this silently. She was finally going to leave the Pits and see just what Rainbow Land looked like for the very first time. The only glimpse she'd had of it was from a cloud, right before she'd conjured up a storm that turned Rainbow Land as dark as the Pits. Deep down, she was excited for this trip. She had heard plenty about Rainbow Land from Murky, but she wanted to see it for herself. Now, she would be able to. It was time to get to know the land where Rainbow Brite lived before it became dark once more.

The grunge buggy bounced and banged over the rocky pathway, partly because of the unpaved road and partly because of Lurky's tendency to prefer to speed along as fast as he could go. Murky grinned to himself, but quickly frowned as they crested the hill that crossed over into Rainbow Land. Darkness became light. Greys become colors spread across the land. Nothing was left untouched by color. It made Murky sick to his stomach to see. He shielded his eyes from the onslaught of light as best he could while holding on. "Ack! I hate all these colors! Why does it have to be so bright?"

Stormy squinted and then covered her eyes as well. She wasn't used to such bright light. The Pits was always dark and stormy, and any light inside Murky's lair was kept dim. She had never been under natural sunlight, not that she could remember. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the new brightness. Her eyes watered as she adapted to this process, and she didn't think she could stand such bright light. Eventually, her eyes became somewhat accustomed and she took in her surroundings. She couldn't recall seeing anything like this. "What are these things?" asked Stormy, pointing.

"Those are trees!" exclaimed Lurky. He began pointing out various plants and animals. "Those are flowers. And that's a bee. Ohhh and there's a butterfly! There's a bush over there, too!"

"Quiet you fool! We don't want anyone to hear us!" yelled Murky as he bopped Lurky on the back of his head.

Lurky rubbed the sore spot before apologizing. "I'm sorry, Murky."

"Now, hide the grunge buggy behind those bushes over there," instructed Murky, pointing out the desired spot to Lurky.

"Gotcha, boss," replied Lurky as he quickly jerked the steering wheel, making the grunge buggy turn sharply to the right. It lifted off the ground before settling into place.

Stormy sat in the passenger seat for a moment, letting her stomach settle from the crazy ride. Once she felt like her stomach wasn't being tossed about, she climbed out of the bucket and stood beside Murky. In childlike wonder, Stormy glanced at the newness of her surroundings, trying to take in as much as she could. Murky glanced down at her. "Don't you get too excited. We won't be here long. Follow my lead. Lurky, guard the grunge buggy."

Stormy instantly snapped to attention. "Yes," she replied.

Murky began tip-toeing through the bushes, avoiding clearings and any bushes that wouldn't hide him and Stormy adequately. Stormy was alert, keeping both eyes and ears open while taking in the scenery. They were coming upon some sort of strange place. A large castle stood at the center, while little hills surrounded it. Furry things, like colorful baby Lurky's, were rushing back and forth, chattering in a language that Stormy couldn't understand. They ran into the hill-like things, and Stormy realized that these must be their homes.

"Those are the sprites," whispered Lurky as he pointed them out. They come in all colors of the rainbow. That castle up ahead is the Color Castle. It's where Rainbow and the Color Kids live. Those things near the castle are where the sprites live." Murky's finger pointed in the distance to an area with a track connected to it. "That place is the Color Caves. That's where the sprites work and get the color crystals that bring color to the world, as well as power Rainbow's Color Belt."

Stormy nodded, letting the new information sink in. She would need to know the landscape for later. The layout was very simple so far. She wondered what they would do today. Murky had said they were spying, but what did that mean? Would she see Rainbow Brite today?

"Today, you will watch the sprites and Color Kids in action in the Color Caves," said Murky, answering her question without knowing. "I have a special spot in there to hide where we can see everything. Let's go. Stay close and don't let yourself be seen." Murky continued sticking to the underbrush, making slow progress. Stormy followed, guided by the necessary urge to do as told.

The pair took a long route, making their way around to the back of the Color Caves. It was a slow trip, but one that kept them hidden from any watchful eyes. Murky showed Stormy a small entrance about halfway up the mountain. It was too small to walk in, and the two had to crawl on hands and knees for a few minutes before the tunnel widened into a large open cavern. There was nothing back this far in the Color Caves, but Stormy could hear the echoing of both voices and picks as the sprites worked the crystal free from the rock. She could barely see in the darkness, but found that her time spent in both the Pits and the caverns aided her vision. Murky led the way once more, taking them as close to the main area of the mine as he could get. A large boulder obstructed any good view and Stormy wondered how they would be able to see anything.

Her confusion was answered when Murky quietly opened a door on the boulder. Stormy realized that it was a hollow boulder, with room inside to hide without being seen. He gestured for Stormy to enter and closed the door behind him as he followed her inside. There were two small holes, large enough to place an eye up to. The boulder was situated in a darker corner of the main area, so they wouldn't be so easily caught. Murky whispered softly, almost so quietly that Stormy didn't hear him. "Watch and learn all you can. Don't say a word." With that, he said no more, but focused his attention on the hole directly in front of him. Stormy copied him and leaned up on tip-toe to get a good look.

The Color Caves was a very active place on this day, but it was really no different than any other day. Indigo and Canary Yellow were supervising the sprites today. The rest of the Color Kids were inside the Color Castle. Shy Violet had made some modifications to the Color Console and the rest of the Kids were helping to test it out. Rainbow Brite had gone off to an undisclosed location in Rainbow Land, but had promised to return soon. With all this information in mind, Indigo and Canary Yellow watched and waited for her return.

Sprites happily mined the color crystals from within the rock. The room glowed in rainbow colors, a dazzling display to behold. Sprites chattered back and forth as they mined with their picks. Some of them sang in rounds, while Indigo and Canary Yellow chattered amongst themselves. There wasn't too much to do when one supervised. They offered help when it was necessary, but the sprites mostly liked to take care of the work themselves. The most either girl had had to do on this day was move the heavy color crystal baskets to a table just outside the Color Caves. There, a group of sprites worked to break the crystal to release the star sprinkles within.

"…a play about the sprites. I want it to be about the ones who mine color crystal," explained Indigo, trying to describe her newest idea for a play. "Each of us could play a sprite, or the sprites could perform it."

Canary Yellow clapped her hands. "I like it! Would we play a sprite of our color?"

"It doesn't matter," replied Indigo. "I think it'll be about one sprite finding a special color crystal that shows all the colors in it. And it does something special for Rainbow, but I'm not sure what."

Rubbing a hand against her chin, Canary Yellow tried hard to think of an idea to continue Indigo's plot. She struggled, knowing she was better at doing choreography for Indigo's musical plays, rather than come up with ideas. She tried her best anyway. "Maybe it keeps Murky's gloom away from the person who wears it?"

Indigo considered the idea. "I like it. I think I could fix it up some and make it fit really well in my play. Thanks a lot!" she replied happily, clasping her hands together.

Canary Yellow smiled back at her. "Will you need my help with anything?"

"I don't have any songs or dances for this one, but I know you could be a sprite. If you didn't want to perform, you could help with other things, like the props or scenery," suggested Indigo.

Before Canary Yellow could utter a response, a green sprite ran up to the two of them and chattered in sprite speak. He pointed and gestured to a color crystal basket full of blue color crystals. Other sprites stood by the cart.

"Of course we can help you," answered Indigo.

Both Indigo and Canary Yellow walked over to the basket. They placed their hands on either side of the basket while two sprites took up a position in front and in back of the basket. "This is heavier than the last basket," commented Indigo. "Did you put more crystal in it this time?" The sprite in front shook his head in reply. The basket was quickly delivered to the table where a red sprite took over. Canary Yellow and Indigo walked back into the Color Caves and resumed their conversation about the play while the sprites continued to work, sing, and chatter.

Stormy watched all of this from her secret perch, watching each scene. The first thing she noticed was the happiness that radiated from everyone. She couldn't see any sadness among anyone. The amount and brilliance of the color in the room appalled her and she felt disgusting having to stand and constantly view it. She had no idea who the two girls were; for all she knew, one of them could be Rainbow Brite. Their conversation hadn't given any clues. Stormy had no idea what a "play" was, but she thought it was something she wouldn't enjoy.

Only when a noise directed everyone's attention away from their work and the mine fell silent did Stormy realize that she'd been lost in thought. She quickly placed her eye back to the peep hole, noticing another girl enter the Color Caves. This girl wore a blue dress, accented with color on the sleeves and tops of her boots. She wore her yellow hair high on her head, held in place with a ribbon. Around her waist was a belt with a rainbow and star.

"Hi, Rainbow," called the girl with the short hair. "How was your trip?"

"It was wonderful, Canary Yellow. We made sure the roses were brightened with plenty of color. They'll have no trouble growing now." Rainbow smiled and the girls smiled back at her. Sprites gathered around her to chatter away in a language Stormy did not understand.

Stormy watched the interactions between the girl who had been identified as Rainbow. Everyone looked up to her. She was the boss here. From her colorful outfit to her infectious smile, Stormy didn't think there was anything about Rainbow that was sad or gloomy. It sickened her. The sooner she stripped Rainbow of her powers, the sooner the land would no longer be bright and colorful. She wanted to see the dark landscape and create the storms that would rumble day and night. She wanted to see Rainbow Brite in the middle of it all, begging for her color back. _I can take her down and get rid of her. She'll be no trouble. Who will they look up to when their Rainbow Brite is no longer able to save them?_

**I've not used reader input so far in the Rainbow Brite fandom, but in the past, I've done so with my Power Ranger stories. I have found that often times, readers can have some amazing ideas to add to a story, many times pulling me out of a writing slump. As you'll see, Stormy will begin completing tasks for Murky to prove her worth before he allows her to attack Rainbow. Thanks to Steph, a good friend mine, I have 4 easy tasks for Stormy to complete. I need some medium tasks and some hard ones. An example of an easy task is Stormy collecting color crystals from the Color Caves. I can say that I already have a task to be the most challenging. I'm in search of others though, as mentioned. If you've got an idea, help a poor author out. You'll receive credit for any ideas used, promise!**


	12. New Look

**I completely forgot to update this this week when I did on the forums. Is my bad. So far I'm still working on chapter 15, which is coming very slowly at this point. I'll be glad when it's finished. I'm eager to begin work on chapter 16...you'd think that'd motivate me to work more on chapter 15, but alas, not so much. My writing's slowed down some these past two weeks...I've also taken up rollerblading again... trying to reteach myself after maybe 6 years or so. Not that I was any good to begin with. Anyway, enjoy :)**

**Chapter 11 New Look**

It was a few days later when Stormy got the chance she desired to take on Rainbow Brite. Murky had allowed her to train for the coming attacks. It had been his only instructions, but it was also the only thing Stormy felt driven to do. She didn't want to fool with anything else or listen to any more of Murky's lectures at the moment. Zapping rocks with lightning was a more pleasing way to pass the time. She had decided to work with Skydancer later as well. Even though Murky had told her there were no immediate plans for using him, she wanted to be ready. She had to be ready for when that time came.

"Stormy!" called Murky's voice from somewhere behind her.

Stormy turned, letting a lightning bolt go astray. It ended up hiding the side of one of the cliffs, and knocking rock loose. A small avalanche started, piles of rocks sliding down the sides of the cliff before settling in a pile of dust at the very bottom. "Coming!" she replied, angry that she'd slipped up because he'd interfered with her concentration. She made her way to Murky, who stood just outside the entrance to his lair. He had to ruin a good thing.

Murky smirked at her when she stopped in front of him. "It's time for you to help me with Rainbow Brite. You're going on a mission with me. It'll be simple, but I want to see your potential. I'll be your backup."

"What are we doing?" asked Stormy. It wasn't anything big. He only wanted to test her in action. She knew she was capable of much more…she had to be. It's why she was helping Murky, wasn't it?

"You're going to steal some color crystals for me. I need more any way. My supply is almost gone. I'll be a distraction in case you fail," Murky explained bluntly. He wasn't up to sugar coating anything.

Stormy felt anger building up inside of her, but quickly pushed it down. She wasn't going to fail. She would prove to Murky that she could complete his task and collect these color crystals that he wanted. She then realized her problem – she had no idea what a color crystal was. This same realization seemed to dawn on Murky. "I'll need to show you some color crystals," he said. Stormy felt relieved inside. She didn't have to ask about them. "Follow me," he instructed.

Murky led Stormy back inside his lair and up the stairs, beyond her room. He took her to a place she'd never been before. It had to be one of his personal storage rooms. She had known about them, but had been instructed to not to go to places he did not ask her to. She followed his command, and found it suddenly strange that she'd never wanted to explore any of these rooms. They walked through the piles of stacked objects. Stormy covered her nose as they passed one peculiar box that reeked.

"Here they are!" he called happily. He pointed to a large set of boxes. Stormy looked inside the one box that he pointed to. Small pieces of shiny rock barely covered the bottom.

Stormy blinked, wondering what purpose these rocks could serve besides just looking pretty. "What are they for?" she asked.

"These are what Rainbow uses to power that dreaded Color Belt of hers. It's where her rainbow power comes from. I can use these in my gloom potions and to trick those Color brats. They're very handy. I need more. The colors don't matter of course, but blue is always good to have, as is green."

"Do you want every color?"

"Of course! I have many uses for them. I need more and don't have time to take care of it myself. That's why you're going to do it for me. It should be simple enough for you. Understood?"

Stormy nodded. "Got it," she replied.

"Good. I don't need you messing up now. I've spent so much time making sure you were ready to take on Rainbow," remarked Murky as he turned around and headed back toward the door.

Stormy again followed Murky through the piles of boxes and random things he'd tossed about in the room. She glanced around, knowing that she wouldn't enter this room again without his permission. Her eyes settled on a box nearest the door. She glanced inside as they passed it. There was an emerald dress, and a pair of thick leather boots. She felt drawn to them somehow, not knowing why. She reached out a hand to touch the fabric of the dress, but it was smacked away by Murky. "I didn't tell you to touch that!" he yelled angrily.

Pulling her hand back quickly, Stormy rubbed the spot he'd smacked. She had no idea why the box was so important or why Murky didn't want her touching it. What she couldn't shake is why she felt drawn to the items in the first place. Before she could consider it any further, Murky pulled her from the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He looked her in the eye. "You are to never enter this room unless I'm with you. Now rest up for tomorrow. I'll see you then." Murky turned and headed back for the stairs, descending back down to his laboratory.

_Why?_ she wondered as she watched him disappear. It didn't make sense. She wanted to know why she had wanted to touch the clothing. Why did Murky have such colorful clothing to begin with? He never wore it. She looked down at her own clothing. It was the same shades as his and certainly not colorful. She'd worn the same plain grey dress and slip-on black shoes for as long as she could remember. Murky had always replaced the outfit when it would wear out, but it was never any different. Always the same, never changing, always colorless.

Meanwhile, Murky paced back and forth in his laboratory. He knew that Stormy would stay away from the room without going near it now that he'd given the instructions. He feared the questions that could come of it. He wasn't sure if she remembered the outfit or remembered how she came to the Pits, and he didn't want her finding out. It'd be so easy to command her never to ask questions about it, but that worried him. Would she pick up on the gloom variant? How she could never do something after Murky gave her the command? He didn't need a mutiny on his hands. No, he'd distract her mind. Without access to the room, Stormy would forget what she'd seen. If he gave her something new, she might very well forget she'd even seen the darned outfit! Why had he kept it so near the door? Why had he kept it at all? It should have been tossed out with the trash. Instead, it had been shoved in that room, collecting dust all these years.

He snapped his fingers, suddenly realizing what he could do. He'd make Stormy a new outfit. He rubbed his chin. It had to be for a purpose though, not just thrown out there. She might become suspicious. _Of course,_ he realized,_ the reason is so easy_. He was sending her to begin attacking Rainbow Brite. She shouldn't look shabby and shoddy. He'd create an outfit befitting to the cause, one that would rival Rainbow's. Where Rainbow's shown brightly with colors, Stormy's would use sharp greys. Instead of a rainbow for a symbol, Stormy would have the lightning bolt, which not only symbolized her power, but also linked her to Murky.

In what could only be called a fatherly effort by a stretch of the imagination, Murky worked on the new outfit throughout the night and much of the next morning. He holed up in his laboratory, even keeping Lurky away under orders to keep an eye on the girl and make sure she trains. Murky had no doubt that Stormy would follow his command from yesterday, so Lurky was merely being kept at bay. He didn't need that bumbling oaf stumbling over fabric or pulling out stitching.

After he finished the outfit, he chose to sleep for a few hours and catch up on sleep. By late afternoon, he felt more like himself and was ready for the next step in his plan. He called for Lurky to come to his laboratory. The outfit was on a nearby table, partially hidden from view. He wasn't having Lurky go and spoil things.

"Yeah, Murky?" called Lurky as he entered the laboratory.

"Bring me Stormy. Tell her it's time to go to Rainbow Land. Then you can get the grunge buggy ready, got it?"

"Sure thing!"

Murky waited patiently for Lurky and Stormy to return, tapping his foot. Within a few minutes, Stormy entered in front of Murky. She looked to him for her instructions.

"I found her, Murky!"

"I can see that. Now go fetch the grunge buggy and wait outside!"

As soon as Lurky was gone, Murky reached for the new set of clothing. "Since you're going to be attacking Rainbow Brite, you needed an outfit that was up to par. I want you to outshine that brat in every way, and that means you'll look the part too." He held out the bundle to a surprised Stormy, who held out her hands to take it. "Go change, and then meet me outside. Lurky will have the grunge buggy ready. Don't take too long, understand?" Stormy nodded, and Murky smirked before leaving Stormy in the laboratory.

Stormy watched as he left the room and then looked down at the clothing in her hands. She quickly ran to her room to change, not wanting to disobey orders. She lay the various pieces on her bed. There was a long sleeve one piece under suit, a puffy dress that went over it, a belt that had a lightning bolt in a cloud, and a pair of thick leather boots, which also bore the mark of a lightning bolt. To top it off, there was a lightning bolt clip for her hair, a striking silver color that gleamed when tilted. She looked at the clothing spread on her bed in awe, still amazed.

Jolted by the memory of Murky's words to not take very long, she quickly changed. Off came the pull over grey dress and simple boots. One went the under suit, which seemed to be made of a stretchy fabric. As she put it on, it fit snugly, but not too tightly. Next came the dress, which opened in the front like Murky's vest. It puffed upwards at the top of her shoulders. She secured the dress in place with the belt, which fastened around the back. She then pulled on each boot, finding the insides comfortable and soft against her bare skin. They came up to her knees. Finally, she fooled with her hair, fastening the new clip into place.

Satisfied, she picked up a piece of glass off her table. It was large enough to see one's image in, which is what Stormy intended to use it for. She looked her new outfit over, pleased with the way the various greys blended together so flawlessly. This outfit was much better than her previous one, and looked nicer too. Placing the glass back on the table, she left her room, and went to meet Murky. She knew it was time to finally prove herself to him and show that she was indeed competent.

She climbed into the grunge buggy, taking the side passenger car again while Murky clung to the back frame of the grunge buggy. He'd nodded his approval at her outfit, apparently pleased with his work. Lurky didn't notice anything different, and if he did, he didn't say a word. Stormy felt nervous inside, though she'd never let that show on the outside. She knew her instructions, she knew the plan, and knew she could complete it as had been asked of her. Yet, there was still a part of her that felt as though she wasn't up to the task.

Concentrating, she worked to push away the nervousness that was consuming her stomach, the fear she felt at doing something entirely new. She'd trained long and hard for this, but would the actual attack be anything like it? Would she not be strong enough, her training worthless? Of course, she realized that it could be the very opposite. She might have trained so well that she could easily overpower this Rainbow Brite. This was the thought she chose to keep in mind and use to fight the nerves. She looked up at Murky, whose attention was not focused on her, but on the road ahead.

"Drive into the forest once we're in Rainbow Land. We'll leave the grunge buggy there and head to the Color Caves on foot."

"What if they see us, Murky?" asked Lurky as he focused on the road ahead of him.

"They won't. And if they do, I'll take care of them. Just like always," Murky answered with a laugh.

Familiar terrain came into view as the trio crossed into Rainbow Land. Darkness became light, and colors became abundant. Murky closed his eyes at the sight, disgusted by the brightness and all the colors. "I'll never get used to this!" he exclaimed. Stormy said nothing, but squinted at the bright light until her eyes adjusted. Again, she looked around, studying the land, keeping it in mind for later. In the distance she could see activity going on, but couldn't make out any specific details.

She was shook from her focus when Lurky squealed tires as he parked the grunge buggy behind a large clump of trees. She climbed out, and stood beside Murky. She watched as he pointed off in the distance, directly at the mines. She remembered it. "Today I'm going to lead you in the same way as before. This time, however, you'll be on your own once inside. I'll create a diversion at the entrance." He handed over a sack that he pulled from inside the passenger car of the buggy. "You'll put all the color crystals you can grab into this. Remember, I need all colors, but green and blue are the best ones to have."

Stormy nodded. "I get it."

"Good. Let's go then." Murky waved an arm and Lurky and Stormy followed in a line behind him.

Soon, the trio found themselves successfully sneaking around to the back entrance of the Color Caves. Some commotion was taking place near the entrance with a few of the sprites, and the Color Kids' attention was focused there. Stormy gulped as Murky gestured for her to continue forward, knowing that she should head directly for the hollow rock they'd used before. She looked back to see if Murky was still watching her, but he'd vanished. Taking a deep breath, she headed for the hollow rock, and shut herself inside. Now, she'd watch for the chance to collect color crystals when no one was looking.

Meanwhile, an argument between sprites was taking place outside of the mines. The three Color Kids on duty for the day watched as the sprites yelled back and forth at each other, giving them a chance to speak before stepping in. Red Butler stood with his arms crossed, listening to each side of the story. Buddy Blue copied him, and Canary Yellow bit her lip, not enjoying the fact that the sprites were arguing in the first place.

Finally, a lull in the arguing appeared, and Red spoke up. "It seems like as long as you aren't in the way of each other when you're mining, you'll be fine. Red color crystals and orange color crystals aren't that close to each other."

"Right," agreed Buddy Blue. "There's plenty of room in there for everyone. No need to argue about it.

The sprites looked to Canary Yellow for her input. "It's about getting our work done without all the arguing."

The two sprites, one red and the other orange, looked at each other. At first, it appeared as though they were set to argue again. Then, each one broke out into a smile. Red Butler grinned at the triumph. They didn't need the arguing and he was glad that the sprites were talking nicely to each other again. "Let's get back to work and finishing mining color crystals for the day," he stated. "We'll soon be able to rest and enjoy the rest of the day without any trouble."


	13. Pushing Limits

**I know my updating for this has been bad, but I have an explanation for that. I've had so much I wanted to do this summer before school starts and I have to teach. I can say though that one of my projects has been Rainbow Brite focused. I can say that soon I'll have my very own copy of Rainbow Brite Monopoly. I designed the game. I'm currently working on the cards for it. The board spaces are done and I do have actual star sprinkles for it :) Anyway, here's another story chapter. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 12 Pushing Limits**

Stormy took a deep breath. This was it. It was her chance to prove to Murky that she wasn't worthless. Quietly, she opened the door to the hollow stone and snuck out, closing it as quietly as she could. She held tightly to the sack, not wanting to lose it. She edged closer to the main area of the mines and scanned the area for sprites or Color Kids. Spying none, she kept moving closer. Her heart beat faster and faster, and her palms felt sweaty. Still, she saw no one near the entrance.

Then, suddenly, there was a loud crash and things outside seemed to take a different turn. Stormy could just make out Murky's voice among the others. No one ran into the mines. There was plenty of yelling. Stormy heard more crashes outside and tried to hear what was going on, but could discern nothing in particular. She then remembered what she was supposed to be doing.

Taking this as her chance, Stormy quickly began scooping color crystals of every shape and size into her sack. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet…all went into her sack. She made sure to grab twice as many green and blue ones, just as Murky had asked for. Her work was quick and easy, and the sack grew heavier with each second that passed. She was satisfied when the sack was near full and she could barely heft it over her shoulders. She took one last look at the color crystals in the mine and turned to head back to her hollow rock and keep an eye out for Murky.

It appeared as though she had finished up just in time. She could hear a voice in the distance, one that was squeaky. She moved quickly, hoping he didn't see her. Instead of heading for the hollow rock, she hightailed it for the back entrance. She peeked out the back door and saw Lurky and Murky running for the grunge buggy, clouds of gloom being sprayed behind them. She quickly followed them, tossing her sack into the grunge buggy and climbing on top of it as Murky and Lurky took their proper places. Lurky started the vehicle and off they sped in a cloud of fumes and exhaust.

Twink blinked, uncertain of what he'd just seen. Had there really been someone in the mines? He couldn't mistake the running footsteps or the sack they carried, but other than that, he had no identifying details. It wasn't Murky…he'd just seen Rainbow chasing him away. _I'd better report this to Rainbow_ he thought to himself. He turned and ran from the Color Mines, not watching where he was heading. He bumped right into Rainbow, who'd been running from the other direction. They bumped and fell backwards. Twink rubbed his head and looked to Rainbow, who was rubbing an elbow.

"Twink, what's wrong?" asked Rainbow, noticing the look on Twink's face.

"Someone's been in the mines, Rainbow. I saw them running away."

"It couldn't have been Murky," thought Rainbow out loud. "I just took care of him."

"I think it was someone else," suggested Twink. "I didn't see who, but they carried a sack. Do you think they took some color crystals?"

"If they had a sack, they must have, Twink. I wonder if they're with Murky?"

"I don't know, Rainbow."

Rainbow pulled herself to her feet and dusted off her dress. "We'll have to keep an eye on Murky. If he's got someone else working for him, there's no telling what kinds of trouble he'll start causing."

"What about the color crystals?" asked Twink.

"What about them?" asked Rainbow. "I think we're finished for the day. Murky's interruption ruined the sprites' concentration."

"No, I mean, what about the color crystals the person in the Color Caves took?" asked Twink.

"Starlite and I will check around Rainbow Land and see if we can find them. If they're not with Murky, they won't have gone far. Only Murky and Lurky would dare live in the Pits. You take the Color Kids and look as well. We'll see what we can find."

Deep in the Pits, Murky was going through the sack that Stormy had handed him. He was pleased to see all the various color crystals and even more pleased to know that his stock wouldn't run low again for awhile. Now he could work on color crystal experiments and their effects when combined with different gloom variants. "Good work," he stated, complimenting Stormy. "You've passed this round. Are you sure you weren't spotted?"

Stormy debated on whether or not to tell him she'd heard a voice as she turned to leave, but decided not to. It wasn't worth telling, was it? "No, no one saw me."

"Good," replied Murky with a cackled. He hefted the sack onto his right shoulder. "Follow me. We need to put these away properly, and you're going to be the one to do so."

Once again, Stormy was led to one of Murky's personal storage rooms. Again they passed the box with the outfit she'd seen before, but this time, she didn't worry about whether or not it was better than the one she wore. She was happy with the change of clothes. She quickly forgot about the strange outfit when she heard a loud scratching noise. She covered her ears to block out the sound and watched as Murky dragged a large wooden box closer. She moved closer, and looked inside. This box had eight slots in it and a heavy lid with a lock.

"I want you to sort the color crystals by color and put them in this box. It makes things easier for me," was Murky's excuse. The truth was, he just didn't want to take care of it himself, and Lurky wasn't smart enough to handle a task such as this without getting distracted halfway through. He started to walk away, before turning around quickly. Stormy had just taken the sack in hand and opened it. "Stay away from anything else in here. When you are finished, you will come right to me in my laboratory. Don't touch anything else." Satisfied, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Stormy to her task.

Suddenly Stormy wished that she hadn't filled the sack close to bursting. She had no idea she'd be stuck doing something like this. She began filling the slots, wishing there was some way to make her task go faster. While she worked, she glanced about the room, trying to discern what other boxes might hold. Some boxes were left unlocked and opened, but Stormy could not make herself go exploring. Frustrated, she continued her task, and her mind wandered to the dress at the door. Why did Murky have something like that? Surely he didn't wear it. She giggled at the thought of Murky in a dress.

Time seemed to pass slowly and the colors all seemed to blur together. She would rather be training and preparing for the next time she went to Rainbow Land. The sack became emptier and emptier, while her anger continued to grow. As she reached into the sack and pulled out the last color crystal, she angrily tossed it into the box, not caring where it landed. Her body longed to follow Murky's command now that she had completed the assignment and she obeyed. Rising to her feet, she walked toward the door, pausing to look at the outfit once more. She was drawn in, she couldn't resist. She only wished that she knew why.

Murky was tinkering with a few vials and beakers on his table while mumbling to himself. Every so often he'd refer to a large tome that rested nearby. Sometimes he delighted in what he read and other times he growled in frustration. Stormy watched him for a few moments before speaking up. "I finished sorting the crystals," she stated.

Briefly looking up from his work, Murky acknowledged her. "Oh? Yes, well good. Go off and train now. I don't wish to be disturbed."

Stormy exited the laboratory, heading directly to Skydancer. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and he could help her out. There was only one way to get rid of her anger. Skydancer was in his favorite spot among the shadows, but he turned his head when someone entered the room. Stormy looked at him, determined. She strode purposefully over to his side and grabbed hold of his mane, using it to swing herself up onto his back. Long ago she had been afraid of this creature before her, but no more. They were a team. "Let's go to the clouds," instructed, holding on to the lavender mane. Skydancer whinnied in reply and took off for the exit.

Taking a running start, Skydancer jumped over the edge of the nearest cliff, soaring on the breeze before letting flight take over. He headed for a large storm cloud, one that he knew would please Stormy. He flew at high speed, eager to land and take part in creating a storm. Instinctively, he knew that was why she wanted to head for the clouds, though he could never vocalize his thoughts.

Stormy enjoyed the breeze the rushed past her face. The adrenaline rush was something she'd gotten used to, though she had no words to describe the feeling. To feel as though you were going to fall one moment and then find yourself moving through the sky was an incredible experience, one that she relished. It was over all too quickly as she felt Skydancer gently land on the edge of the cloud. Down she slid, letting her feet sink into the fluffy matter. She looked about their temporary shelter, a pleased look on her face.

Closing her eyes, Stormy held out her palm. She began to get the feel of the cloud, studying its makeup. As she finished with the cloud she was on, she branched out, feeling out the surrounding area. She gauged that the clouds were saturated with water, ready to burst, a perfect situation. She began willing the clouds to come to her, come closer to her base so that she could release the water within. They heeded her call; she did not have to look to know this simple fact.

Opening her eyes, she suddenly thrust her hand outward, palm open. She commanded the clouds to open up and pour. This was not a storm she wanted to start slowly and build to a cacophonous roar. No, she wanted this storm to be unleashed at its full potential, a torrential downpour. She wanted her anger to be visual and seen, even though her storm was confined to the Pits. She'd fill the cracks and crevices of rocks and watch them overflow with water. The image was calming, soothing.

Skydancer caught on to his mistress' excitement and began helping with her storm. He galloped about, stamping and pounding his hooves. Below, lightning crackled as it flashed, lightning up the otherwise dark atmosphere of the Pits. He whinnied and raised up on hind legs before falling and letting a mighty bolt of lightning fly. It streaked through the air, striking a group of stones near Murky's lair. The stones cracked open, smoking from impact.

Stormy continued, letting the storm become even more intense. She became more wrapped up in the emotions produced as a side effect of the storm. Her green eyes swirled with the intensity and she let her hands and feet direct her anger. She was on the verge of losing control, yet loving every minute that she was part of it.

Slowly, her adrenaline rush faded and her energy left with it. By the time the storm was nothing but a drizzle and only the rumbling of thunder remained, she had sunk to her knees, exhausted from the effort of keeping the storm going at its full power for so long. Never before had she exerted herself so much. "Sk-Skydancer," she murmured as her body fell forward and she collapsed from sheer exhausted.

Stormy awoke, only to find herself floating atop a large body of water. She looked around her, but could see nothing except water. There was no land to be had. "Skydancer! Skydancer, where you?" she called. There was no answer and she couldn't see anything but a grey sky above. "Skydancer!" she cried, more urgently this time.

Skydancer never came. Instead, clouds began to move in, making the grey sky darker. Stormy looked up at them as they gathered. She raised her hand to disperse them, but when she began trying to pull them apart, all she made them do was begin to release the rain water they'd stored. Surprised, she looked at her hand, and then back up at the clouds. She'd never had this sort of trouble before. Once again, she tried to disperse the clouds and keep the rain from falling, but all she succeeded in doing was making it rain even harder.

The water became choppy and she became scared. She couldn't control the storm, couldn't get Skydancer to help her. She was alone without any hope. Her eyes flitted about her, searching for something or someone to save her. She blinked twice when she saw a boat version of the grunge buggy floating on the water. Murky and Lurky looked back at her, staring at her as though they didn't recognize her. "Help me!" cried Stormy, waving her arms around.

Murky merely looked at her. "I want nothing to do with a failure," he scoffed, crossing his arms and turning his head away from her.

"Please, help me!" Her cry went unanswered as the boat floated away on the choppy waves, taking Murky and Lurky with it. The waves got worse, and she was tossed around. She'd disappear under water for a few seconds and come up sputtering for air. She moved to wipe her eyes, but was thrust under again. Up she came again, coughing and choking on the water. "Help…help me… help..." she cried weakly. Her arms flailed in the air and water stung her eyes. She could barely see, and the waves that were tossing her about only became worse.

"Help…." Stormy called weakly as she sank below the water. She slowly sank, bubbles escaping from her mouth every now and then. She didn't move and spoke no longer.

From above the water came a flash of light, a rainbow beam that sped through the sky, the only colorful object around in the dark and gloomy landscape. It sped beneath the water, seeking its target. It stopped and wrapped around something, before shooting up out of the water. Stormy was wrapped up tight in the center, safe from harm. Slowly, she began to come to, coughing and spitting up water that was left in her lungs. Her eyes slowly began to open, and she found her vision blurry. She groaned and slowly clenched her fists, trying to gather enough energy to pull herself into a sitting position.

Stormy slowly sat up, and looked about her, wide-eyed. She was sitting atop a rainbow, a rainbow that was moving and taking her somewhere. She glanced over the edge and saw the choppy waves below her, taunting her to fall back into their grasp. Stormy quickly pulled her attention away from the water. She shuddered at the memories of being submerged and then feeling nothing.

Suddenly, she was free falling. As she looked down, she saw dry land coming up quickly. Lush, green vegetation loomed ahead, and she closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly shut. Air rushed past her and all she could think about was how she didn't want to be flattened on the ground.

The next thing Stormy knew, she was waking up. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing nothing but grey surrounding her. She raised her head, looking around. She couldn't remember what had come before, the last fuzzy remnants of her dream disappearing as she tried to conjure them forth. _What was that about?_ she wondered to herself. Exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. _I'm still so tired…maybe I should have created a smaller storm… _She looked about for Skydancer, who stood off to the side, watching her intently.

"Let's go home, Skydancer," called Stormy, rising slowly to her feet. She took hold of his mane, pulling herself onto his backside.

Skydancer waited until his mistress was situated and then walked to the edge of the cloud. Stormy looked out over the Pits, noting that the storm had mostly subsided. It was back to the usual cloudy storm weather. Skydancer leapt from the cloud, and headed back to Murky's lair. Stormy paid little attention to her surroundings, thinking of something else. _How far can I push myself?_


	14. Goopy Paint

**I truly am sorry about not updating this as I should. Getting an apartment has made things time consuming and energy draining. I have not forgotten this fic and have been working slowly on chapter 16. I just don't want to upload all my backlog before I get back into writing it. I'm in a better mood tonight than I was this morning, and I got my tattoo touched up today, which makes me doubly happy. So you get another chapter, and I'll go work on chapter 16 some more. You'd best hope I don't get anymore oneshot ideas, either for Rainbow Brite or for Fate/stay night! Enjoy!  
**

**Chapter 13 Goopy Paint**

Rainbow clasped her hands together as she looked out the window from her room. It was a bright, sunny day, and no doubt a warm one. Today she and the Color Kids had a new project to tackle. They had recently finished building a brand-new sprite house for a family and were going to paint it. Lala Orange had taken it upon herself to mix up the orange paint they would need for the outside of the house. Buddy Blue and Patty O'Green were mixing up the tan paint they would use for the roof. The other Color Kids were hard at work gathering other colors of paint for the furniture and walls inside. It looked to be a promising day full of hard work. Rainbow couldn't wait.

Cheerfully, she descended the stairs into the main hall. She found the other Color Kids waiting for her. She waved to them. "Good morning, everyone!"

"Good morning, Rainbow," called all the Color Kids as one.

"We've got all the paint ready to go, Rainbow," stated Red Butler, stepping out in front of the group.

"And the weather's at peak for perfect project weather," added Shy Violet.

"The brushes are ready too," tacked on Canary Yellow. She held up a few and then pointed to a large bucket beside her.

"All right then. Let's get to work!" declared Rainbow.

Together, they all marched down the main road of Rainbow Land, heading for the outer lying area of houses. Over the years, Rainbow Land's housing units had quickly multiplied in number. This year had been no different. More families were forming and they needed a place to live. It took a long time for the Color Kids to build one house, which wasn't bad in the years that few sprites needed a new home. Luckily, this had turned out to be a slow year.

As they approached the house, the Color Kids split up. Buddy Blue, Canary Yellow, Indigo, and Lala Orange were going to work on the inside of the house. Buddy was in charge of supervising and making sure things ran smoothly. Rainbow, Red Butler, Patty O'Green, and Shy Violet were going to tackle the outside of the house. Ladders and paint smocks had been set on the ground earlier that morning. Everything was as it should be. Rainbow looked up at the sky again, thankful for the beautiful day in which to paint.

"Do you think we'll finish everything today, Rainbow?" asked Patty O'Green as she donned a paint smock, a once white apron that was speckled with various colors. She handed one to Rainbow.

"I'm not sure. I guess it depends on how well things go. I don't think we've finished very many houses in a day before," commented Rainbow as she took the offered smock and pulled it over her head, tying it in the back. She looked to her left and saw Red Butler and Shy Violet taking the lids off the paint pots. The two appeared to be in conversation over something. "I'm going to go check on everyone inside and make sure they're ready to start."

"All right, Rainbow," replied Red Butler. By the time you finish in there, we'll be ready to start. I'll get all the ladders set up."

Rainbow nodded. "All right. I'll be back soon!" She made her way inside the house, ducking in the doorway so she didn't hit her head on the low frame. Everything inside was covered up with white sheets. Buddy Blue was mixing up the paint for the walls, which would be a pale blue to match the blue sprite family that would be moving in. "How are things in here?"

Buddy Blue looked up from his work. "We're almost ready to start, Rainbow."

Lala Orange, who'd been setting out the paint brushes, readily spoke up. "Everything's been covered up too."

Indigo sat cross-legged on the floor, looking at the room around her. "It's like a blank piece of paper," she murmured. "So much potential…"

"Are you here to help us?" asked Canary Yellow.

Rainbow shook her head. "No, I just wanted to make sure everyone was ready in side." She moved back to the doorway, ducking out. "Have fun!" She left the door open behind her so that the room could air out as the Color Kids inside painted. As she turned around, she found Red Butler standing in front of her.

"Everything's ready, Rainbow. Shall I work on the roof?" he explained.

"Sure, Red. Everyone knows that's your favorite job," replied Rainbow. Before she could say any more, Red Butler had gone off to the nearest ladder, quickly ascending the rungs to the roof. He was the one Color Kid they could all depend on to make sure the shingles firmly attached and that they received their brilliant coat of paint.

Rainbow picked up a paint bush and a can of paint, and chose one side of the house. She dipped her paint brush into the can, letting the paint soak into the bristles before removing it from the can. She lifted it to the wall of the house and began painting in slow, even strokes.

"Psst… Rainbow!" came a whisper to her left.

Rainbow turned to peek around the side of the house. _Splat!_ Orange paint flew in her direction and spattered across her cheek. "Patty!" she cried, laughing. Her friend loved to play jokes and she should have known that painting would have provided plenty of opportunities to do so.

Patty O'Green covered her mouth to hide her laughter. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I couldn't resist! Paint is just too much fun."

"That's okay," replied Rainbow with a smile.

The rest of the morning passed without incident. Rainbow and the Color Kids took a break from painting as soon as the sun was high in the sky. They were tiring, but very happy. The one thought on their minds at that moment was food.

"All right, everyone. Let's go get something to eat and then we'll get back to work," called Rainbow, untying her paint smock and setting it aside. The other Kids followed suit.

Everyone walked back to the Color Castle in twos and threes, chattering about the morning and all the work that had been completed so far on the sprite house. Many sprites had come by that day to admire the paint job and chatter amongst themselves. Others would come by on a break from the Color Caves and mining, which Twink was currently overseeing.

"The sprites seem to love the work so far," commented Canary Yellow as they passed a group of sprites chattering about the new house and its future occupants.

"They're eager for their turn to welcome the new family," replied Lala Orange. "It's always such a beautiful sight."

"Yes, I've heard a few sprites talking about a gathering of sorts," added Shy Violet, tapping her finger on her chin.

"Well, sprite welcome parties are always a treat," answered Indigo as the group passed by a large bush on the main road.

"Today will be such a treat for Rainbow and her friends as well," murmured a voice concealed within the bush. Stormy snickered at her comeback, pleased to have a way to ruin Rainbow's day. She couldn't believe that Murky had actually let her go off on her own. He still wouldn't let her bring Skydancer with her, but at least she had the freedom to move about without Murky watching over her shoulder. She didn't feel so nervous, even though she was once again attempting to sabotage something of Rainbow's. She stayed crouched in the bush, watching the group of Color Kids disappear. She turned around and focused her attention on the sprite house, which was covered in wet paint, gleaming in the sun. She grinned to herself. This task was almost too easy.

Deep in the Pits, Murky was tracking Stormy's every move. Without her ever knowing, he'd attached a tracking device to her one night while she slept. It was kept until the puff that rose above her shoulder, a place where she'd never feel it. It was tiny, almost microscopic in size. "Yes, you take care of those Color Brats," Murky sneered before cackling to himself. He may not be able to see Stormy's actions, but he could track her location and listen to all her conversations.

The tracking device had been the only reason he'd agreed to let her go to Rainbow Land unassisted. She was stubborn and had wanted to take care of Rainbow on her own. Murky didn't trust her without keeping an eye on her. The tracking device was the compromise, though Stormy didn't know that. She had figured that Murky had allowed her to go after all. If worse came to worse, he could merely appear in Rainbow Land to finish the task she had failed out. However, there would be dire consequences for failure.

"Whatcha doing, Murky?" asked Lurky as he entered the laboratory and saw the new tracking equipment set up.

"Quiet you buffoon! I'm listening to this!"

Lurky got silent and listened carefully. "But Murky, I don't hear nothing," he replied.

"Just go away!" yelled Murky, effectively shooing Lurky from the room. He smirked and then turned back to his equipment. Static started to overtake the channel he was listening to, and he reached out to adjust the knobs, listening closely for Stormy's voice. He was interested to see just how this mission would turn out. The best part was that none of it could be pinned on him.

Stormy resituated herself, sitting cross-legged behind the bush. She had enough time before Rainbow and the Color Kids returned to put her plan into action. She closed her eyes, tapping into her source of power. She began to sense out the nearest set of storm clouds, which were located on the edge of the Pits, just where she'd left them before. Raising her right hand, palm up, she coaxed them to cross that invisible boundary, coaxed them to her location in Rainbow Land. She felt the rumbling, knowing that they were heeding her call. It felt so good to be in charge.

She only opened her eyes when she knew that the clouds were directly overhead. She had made sure the fullest clouds rested over that lovely new coat of paint, gleaming in the sun. Well, she'd soon take care of that. With one last glance toward the Color Castle, Stormy let the clouds burst, and rain suddenly poured down. What had once been a bright and sunny sky was now dark, gloomy, and rainy. The rain fell hard; Stormy had no need for a gentle storm for this task. The pounding rhythm of water soothed her nerves. She watched closely as the new paint began to run. The bright orange ran in streaks down the side of the house, while some of the tan paint that had been on the roof dripped down as well. The colors mixed and mingled, forming an ugly sight. Rain splashed into the cans of paint outside, carelessly left uncovered since no one expected the sudden rainfall. Now the paint was nothing but a goopy mess.

Stormy covered her mouth to hide the giggling. It was just too funny to see. One minute, everything had been bright and sunny and the next, it had all been ruined. She couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when they saw the damage done. She worked to calm her laughter, to restore her demeanor. She'd not stay hidden long if someone heard a bush laughing! She turned her sights back to the Color Castle and waited for Rainbow and the Color Kids to return. The rain soaking her outfit didn't bother her in the least. She'd wait all afternoon if necessary.

Murky sat in front of his tracking equipment, not sure of why Stormy was giggling uncontrollably. _She's going to be caught by Rainbow…what is so funny?!_ He attempted to listen closely, trying to discover any clues as to why she'd be laughing, but came up with nothing. He was confused and puzzled, and would be quite angry if Stormy failed because she couldn't control her emotions.

Stormy didn't have long before her wish was granted. Not long after she calmed herself down and quite giving off the idea of a laughing bush, she saw Rainbow and the Color Kids burst forth from the Color Castle. They ran quickly, right on past the bush that Stormy used for a cover and to the house they'd worked so hard on. Stormy quickly turned around, preparing to watch the scene that would unfold in front of her.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Rainbow as she laid eyes on the sprite house with its dripping, runny paint. She had dared to hope beyond hope that the rain had not affected the structure.

"Where'd this storm come from?" asked Red Butler. "It wasn't supposed to rain today!"

"My morning calculations projected a zero percent chance of precipitation today," answered Shy Violet.

"Then why is it raining?" asked Lala Orange in a soft voice.

"I… I'm not sure. There's always a chance for deviation," faltered Shy Violet.

"What do we do now?" asked Buddy Blue as he crossed his arms.

"Yuck! The paint is ruined!" interrupted Patty O'Green as she peered at the open cans.

"Rainbow'll think of something," stated Canary Yellow, trying to be positive.

"Everything's okay on the inside," reported Indigo as she opened the door.

All eyes rested on Rainbow, waiting for an answer. Rainbow looked from her friends to the sprite house. Deep down, she felt as though all the hard work had been for nothing, but she quickly banished that feeling. She wouldn't allow herself to feel that way. Instead, she looked to her friends and took a deep breath before speaking. "We'll wait until the rain stops and then we'll paint the outside again. We can make up more paint to use. The inside of the house isn't ruined, so Buddy, Indigo, Lala, and Canary can finish up the walls and furniture." She looked around, watching her idea sink in.

"Rainbow's right," spoke up Canary Yellow. "We still have the inside of the house to work on. If we work together, it won't take long to fix the outside of the house.

Rainbow smiled over at her friend. Leave it to Canary Yellow to put a positive spin on things. "It seems like a loss, but we can fix it."

Red Butler, always ready to take charge when the situation called for it, called out, "Come on Kids. We can go to the Color Caves to get more crystals for the paint. We'll get the paint ready while the others work on painting the inside."

Red Butler's team took off after him, ready to follow and tackle their new job. Rainbow watched as the crew who had been working indoors entered the sprite house and prepared to work. Things were all right for now. Sure, the rain hadn't been a good thing, but they'd fix the problem soon enough.

From her bush spot, Stormy grumbled. Rainbow didn't appear to be phased at all! She was actually smiling. Stormy had only set her back for the duration of the storm. They'd come back later on to finish the paint job. _Darn it!_ she thought to herself. She waited until Rainbow had walked passed her bush before sneaking away. She slipped between sprite houses, checking to make sure she wasn't seen before sneaking into the forest. She headed for the Pits, determined to come up with a task that would do more than just set Rainbow back. If only Murky would agree…

**Oh yeah. This chapter is working with the tasks assigned to Stormy by Murky, and each chapter will feature at least one new task, perhaps more. I've got ideas for easy tasks and soon finishing those. If you've ideas for medium level tasks, or harder ones, let me know. Stormy will face Rainbow in a medium task for the first time. She'll never come face to face with her enemy until that point.**


	15. Darkest Desires

**So it's been awhile since I updated, near a month. I've been moving into a new apartment and think I've finally settled in. School's started once more, which means teaching once again. I've been doing a long-term sub position in kindergarten, but I was just hired to teach 5th grade fulltime! Anyway, I finished chapter 16 last week and am hoping to continue working with the story now that things have settled in. I did some thinking and reconsidering on future chapters and have changed how I want to do things. I'll see how it goes. Anyway, enjoy! There's a picture that goes with this chapter. Check the bottom to find out how to see it!**

**Chapter 14 Darkest Desires**

The sky was dark and grey, and thunder loomed overhead. The rumblings were a common occurrence. Murky glanced out the window, delighting in the weather, which was music to his ears. "Ahh…another perfectly retched day!" he exclaimed to himself. He jumped from the stool in front of the window and turned to his dwellings. It was a nice upgrade from the Pits, that was for sure. A quick bit of gloom had turned a once colorful, cheerful room into shades of grey. It was even more pleasant to know that this room had once belonged to Rainbow Brite, the little imp who had once protected her precious Rainbow Land. Only, she'd failed in her quest and now, it all belonged to him. He chuckled at the memory of her fall and the loss of her precious Color Belt.

He glanced down at his own waist, where a simple black belt was tied around his waist. It was amazing what a little gloom could do to something so legendary as the Color Belt. The belt responded to his gloom sprinkles, a modification of gloom and star sprinkles combined. The two items were a powerful combination, one that Murky did not hesitate to show off when the situation warranted it. He'd shown many a sprite and Color Kid very bluntly exactly what he meant.

Exiting the room, he walked down the hallway and descended the stairs into the lower section of the Color Castle, as it once was known. As Murky had detested colors, he'd quickly renamed it to Gloom Palace. It was a much more fitting name for a ruler such as himself. Right now, it was time to take care of a daily task, one he took much pleasure in. This part of day he looked forward to because it meant that he could hold everything he now claimed as his own over Rainbow Brite's head.

Murky entered a room at the end of the hallway. The room was dark, just as he always kept it. He wanted to deprive her of one of her most prized senses. The colorful world she had once known was no more and Murky took all the more pleasure in denying her the sights of even the greys and blacks and whites he loves so much, except when he wanted to break her spirit. He felt about around the edge of the door for a switch. Flipping it, he bathed the room in a dim glow, just enough to see his prisoner, who squinted and closed her eyes at the sudden bit of light.

Rainbow Brite was chained to the wall with a heavy metal collar around her neck. The chain was a mere five feet in length. Rainbow had enough room to walk back and forth, as well as sit. She didn't have the luxury of going far. The collar was not reinforced with gloom, as Murky had decided not to take away Rainbow's true emotions about his take over. He had instead decided to break her spirit the old fashioned way. It had taken awhile, but she had finally stopped believing there was a way to defeat Murky and take back her place as the protector of Rainbow Land. He had essentially achieved the same effect as the gloom variants he created, but unlike the gloom, which could wear off after a period of time, her broken spirit would not suddenly fix itself, would not suddenly wear off.

"Hello, prisoner," he greeted her sadistically. "It's a _dismal_ day outside. Too bad you can't see it. You're missing out."

Rainbow did not look up at him. Her blue eyes stayed focused on the cold floor, not acknowledging his presence. Her hair was disheveled and many pieces had fallen out of the ponytail she wore high on her head. Her hair ribbon with the star had ripped and was barely holding the pieces of hair inside. Her clothing was tattered, holes scattered across her dress. One of her suspender straps had broken, the fabric still hanging at her waist. Her boots were scuffed and dirty, a large hole on the toe end of the right boot. The left boot was loosing its sole, and was more holey than its mate. Despite turning everything else into gloomy shades, Murky had left her entire outfit colorful, wanting to always remind her of her once high place in Rainbow Land. She was covered in dirt and soot, the pale purple star gone from her cheek. She no longer had the blessing, and had lost that shortly after Murky began his reign.

"You should acknowledge your ruler when he speaks to you," remarked Murky, kicking Rainbow's side.

Rainbow looked up at him as he did so, blue eyes that had long ago lost their bright spark. She winced as he kicked her, but made no sound. She continued to look at him, waiting for what he'd say next. She did not smile or frown when he smirked at her. She had an idea of what he wanted her to do. It seemed as though enough time had passed since the last time it had occurred.

"We're taking a trip," stated Murky. "I want you to see what advances I've made in Rainbow Land since the last time you were allowed out." Carefully, Murky took a key from inside his vest, placing it in a tiny hole on the wall. He turned it, releasing the chain that held Rainbow to the wall. He didn't have to fear Rainbow trying to escape from his grasp. She'd long ago lost hope that anything could be done to stop Murky in his tracks. She stood there as Murky held the chain in his hand. She was his pet in essence.

Murky jerked roughly on the chain and Rainbow began to follow behind him. She'd never dare to walk in front of him. Instead, she followed, eyes on the ground. She'd let everyone down – the sprites, the Color Kids, Lady Brite… she hadn't been strong enough to protect Rainbow Land, to protect her family. Now they were paying the price of her incompetence, suffering daily for Murky's sake. It was only on these trips that Rainbow saw the changes taking place in Rainbow Land. A lone tear traveled down her dirty face. _I'm sorry_ she thought to herself. _I'm so sorry…_

The first stop on the trip was right outside the Gloom Palace. Here, Murky handed off the chain leash so that he was free to talk and do things with both hands. Rainbow's keeper became the one that had eventually overcome her in the end, proving that even her rainbow could never beat a persist source of evil. She looked at the girl who stared back at her, smirking. Stormy could never resist showing off her accomplishment. She readily took the chain from Murky and tugged on it. While Murky continued on his route, Stormy would jerk the chain every so often, causing Rainbow to skip over her steps, almost tripping. She concentrated on keeping her balance, knowing the fun Stormy would have if she fell, and knowing what Murky would say about her clumsiness.

Stormy tugged at the chain of the prisoner, taking joy each time she stumbled. Stormy wished she'd fall so that she could tease her more. It was a fun pastime, and Murky didn't care what she did to Rainbow as long as she didn't hurt her…too much, that is. She knew their next stop on the tour was enough to bring Rainbow to her knees and she enjoyed watching the pained expressions that would cross her face. Rainbow could never hide her emotions well, which made things all the more fun for Murky and Stormy. They trekked across the land, climbing into the mountainside. They stopped outside of the entrance to the Color Caves.

There had been times when Rainbow and the Color Kids had joked and laughed about what would happen if Murky got a hold of the Color Caves and turned it gloomy. No one had ever expected that he'd actually accomplish taking them. Rainbow looked down at the ground, kicking the small stones in the path. How ironic it was that he had finally gotten his way and destroyed everything Rainbow Land represented with a swift hand? She dreaded entering the Color Caves, fearing the sight that would be thrust upon her. She dug her heels into the dirt, trying to prolong her entrance as much as possible. It was no use; Stormy felt her resistance and gave a hard jerk on the chain. Rainbow lost her footing and flew forward, landing face first inside the Color Caves. She pulled herself to her feet quickly before Stormy could continue to jerk on the chain.

"Look around at your precious Color Brats now," instructed Murky. When Rainbow would not look as he asked, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look around her. She watched as her friends used picks to get at the color crystal deep within the veins of the Caves. This place was still as colorful as ever. It was the only source of color in Rainbow Land. Murky had never infected the Color Caves with gloom once he learned that the potency of the crystals became much lower if they were affected by gloom variants before being mined. He waited until after the crystals had been mined before combining them with gloom.

The various states of array that the Color Kids were in showed that they didn't fair much better than Rainbow under Murky's rule. They were dirty, with ripped outfits. Sweat dripped down their faces as they raised callused hands to chip away at the rock. Exhaustion was evident in their faces, and they acted almost robotically. Murky had chosen to replace the sprites with the Color Kids. Sprites would extract the star sprinkles from the crystals or they worked as his personal servants. No Rainbow Land inhabitant had been safe from Murky's terror. Sprites that had thought they'd no longer deal with an evil as great as the one that had ruled before Rainbow Brite defeated him found themselves back at the very beginning of the cycle.

"Look at your poor friends," commented Murky. "See what they go through? See what they have to do because you couldn't save them?"

Rainbow tried to avert her eyes once more, but Stormy jerked her chain. She was forced to work. A cry rang out and she immediately focused on the source. Patty O'Green had fallen to her knees, unaware of the color crystal shards that dug into her skin. She was breathing heavily, and her pick lay at her side.

"I… can't…go on…" she slowly stated, breathing heavily with each pause.

"Get up you brat! You've barely started today's work. Don't tell me you're already tired!" yelled Murky, moving in front of the Color Kid once in charge of everything green.

Patty O'Green did not look up at him. "I can't… do anymore," she whispered before she slumped to the ground, exhaustion overtaking her body. She had to rest before she worked herself to death. The rest of the Color Kids were in much the same state. Her friends looked at her, but went right back to work. They were gravely concerned for their friend, but did not wish to feel Murky's wrath.

Rainbow absently reached out a hand toward Patty, wishing, hoping that she could do something. Murky smacked her hand away, a sneer on his face. "It's too late for your precious friend. She got what she deserved. You got what you deserved. Let's go." Murky was tired of being in the Color Caves. It was time to move on. He'd had his fill here.

Stormy jerked hard on Rainbow's chain and once again the trio set off. They descended the trail and headed back into Rainbow Land. Rainbow didn't want to see anymore on this sadistic tour of Murky's, but she knew he'd continue until they'd visited every location. His next stop was the sprite village, which was dead. Usually it was full of such mirth and joy, with young sprites dashing about and playing games. Now, there was not a sound to be heard.

"Isn't the sound of silence a lovely sound?" asked Murky to no one in particular.

He led Rainbow to one of the sprite houses and had her peek inside. There the scene was much as she'd find in any of the houses. Groups of sprites were forced to test out Murky's newest gloom variants. Other sprite groups would mix new variants and store them for later attacks if necessary. Rainbow tried to peel her eyes away from the window, not wanting to see the once bright and cheerful creatures doing this forced labor. They too had suffered under Murky's rule, which was easily seen from their coats. Once bright and soft, their fur was now dirty and matted. Rainbow felt her head being pressed to the window and closed her eyes quickly, not wanting to see any more.

Quickly, she was jerked away and pulled along, as Murky continued on the trail. This time he lead her off toward an open field, which she recognized as the once lustrous Green Grange. Starlite was here, spreading Murky's gloom variant around the land. No plant ever had a chance to reach its full potential. If the dark weather didn't kill it, the gloom variant would stunt it.

Starlite had been reduced to a mere common horse. Rainbow's once noble and proud steed had been broken as well. He no longer called himself "the most magnificent horse in the universe", nor did he speak. He wouldn't even speak to Rainbow, but his eyes told her all she needed to know. She'd let him down, just as she had the sprites and the Color Kids. She watched as he ran the field, a device emitting gloom as he did so. She knew that he saw Murky, but he did not look up. She couldn't blame him.

"That silly horse of yours has come in handy," commented Murky. "Lurky takes good care of his pet horsey. Isn't that right, Stormy?"

Stormy looked to Murky. She was used to playing his silent partner, his secret weapon. He rarely called upon her to acknowledge anything, but when he did, she spoke up. "Of course. Lurky takes much better care of him than Rainbow ever could."

"You see, Rainbow? Rainbow Land is much better off with me as its ruler. You were only getting in the way. That's why I had Stormy take care of you once and for all. This land was meant for darkness, not colors. With me as ruler, Rainbow Land will become known around the galaxy. It will be a feared name."

Rainbow could not ignore Murky. She wished she could block out his voice, block out his desires. She wished she could take her Color Belt back. She had many wishes, but none were meant to be true anymore. She would forever be Murky's prisoner, forced to watch as her friends worked under his rule. She feared what might happen to them in the future. If only she'd not dismissed Murky as being silly. If only she'd kept a better eye on him and paid attention when he attacked Rainbow Land, they might not be in this mess. If only—

She was forced from her reverie by the all too familiar tugging on her chain. It appeared as though Murky was finished with her for the day and would return her to her room. Back along the main path the trio walked, passing the sprite houses once more. Murky entered the Gloom Palace, but did not lead Rainbow back to her room. Instead, he tossed the keys to Stormy over his shoulder. "I have other business to attend to. Lock her back up and then come see me," he instructed before ascending the stairs.

Stormy took the keys and twirled them on her fingers as she jerked Rainbow along. She didn't have to hold back on torturing Rainbow now. Murky wasn't around to stop her. "How does it feel to be a prisoner?" she sneered. Rainbow didn't answer, and this angered Stormy. "You should answer me. You've no reason not to." Stormy considered what she had to use for ammo before replying once more. She leaned closer to Rainbow. "I'll take good care of your friends… they'll work and work for the rest of time… they'll never bring color anywhere ever again. Isn't that great?"

Meanwhile, Murky had secluded himself in one of his favorite rooms in the Gloom Palace. It had once been Shy Violet's laboratory, but Murky had quickly made it his own. Books lined the walls and beakers of all sizes covered the tables. Murky hopped up onto a stool and looked at an open book directly in front of him. It would be his newest creation—a monster that would bow to his will and do as he commanded, one that would help him to conquer the universe.

Murky suddenly shot awake, throwing off his careful balance on the chair. He wobbled and teetered before crashing to the floor. He looked around him. _I'm back in the Pits! I should be… wait… that was all just a dream. _As realization dawned on Murky, he tried to recall the dream, but only could remember bits and pieces. The end of the dream especially captivated his attention. _A monster that bends to my will and will conquer the galaxy…I shall create my own! What was the rest of that dream about anyway?_ Murky tried to remember and recall the dream, but it was fading fast from his memory. He focused on what he did remember and decided to work with that. Pulling a different book toward him, he began jotting down notes and ideas. "This could be my second greatest plan of all time!" he exclaimed to himself as he wrote feverishly.

Dream forgotten, Murky worked long into the night on his idea, planning out what he might try to do to recreate it. He'd spend the night pouring through various tomes, looking for the answers he sought. For this brief night, defeating Rainbow Brite was a forgotten task, pushed aside to make way for this new idea that would almost certainly help bring Rainbow Land down.

**A friend of mine was inspired by the description of a tortured Rainbow and drew a picture in her style. I've posted it on my photobucket to share. To see it, go here: **http://img,photobucket,com/albums/v378/DigiExpert/TorturedRainbow,jpg Change all the , to .


	16. Secret Tricks

**It's taken me awhile to upload this chapter. It was slow going working on chapter 17 of this story and figuring out how I wanted it to go. There were plenty of nights that I just didn't feel like writing and other nights where I wrote a tiny paragraph. I'm pleased to say that tonight I was able to finish 17 and so now I can post chapter 15 here. All it took was letting myself have some time to read a book and be inspired by the writing. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 15 Secret Tricks  
**

Stormy dashed away from the Color Caves, laughing to herself. She couldn't believe the latest task that Murky had given her, but she'd completed it, regardless. It had seemed very silly at the time. She hadn't realized how funny it would be. She could still hear the shouts and yells from behind her, but no one knew that she was behind the prank. Stormy stopped behind an outcropping of rocks and tried to catch her breath before looping back around to the Pits. It had been an interesting morning, that was for sure.

_~ Flashback ~_

Stormy crept up to the Color Caves, around to the back entrance that Murky had showed her. Murky had given her another task to prove herself, and Stormy thought he was kidding. It seemed so simple, so easy. Murky's words echoed in her head. _Scare the sprites with your powers…_ There were no other instructions besides that. Murky seemed distracted by something and had soon shut himself in his laboratory to work. Stormy was left to take care of the task, knowing that she had to complete it. She had felt a tug in her body, and knew she should head to Rainbow Land. She had walked faster when she had heard the unmistakable sound of Lurky's voice, calling for her. Lurky was always trying to convince her to join his games.

Now she stood near the back entrance, and pondered her task. Even if it was simple, she wanted to do it right. She'd much rather be fighting Rainbow Brite. What did the sprites matter when that girl kept spreading color around Rainbow Land? One day Stormy would show her exactly what she could do. The day she defeated Rainbow would be the day that Murky would take over Rainbow Land. What Stormy didn't realize was that over the years, she had slowly begun to share Murky's goal. She wanted to defeat the girl of color and get rid of all the brightness. She may not hate it as much as Murky, but it was annoying. Besides, such bright colors weren't involved in her storms, unless you counted the bright flashes of yellow when the lightning struck. Therefore, Rainbow wasn't needed.

Shielding her eyes, Stormy glanced up at the sky. The sun shone brightly, and puffy clouds dotted the blue sky. She closed her eyes and felt out the clouds, searching for their storm potential. She was disappointed with the levels she found, but the clouds would do for what she wanted. The amount of rainfall they could produce wouldn't matter this time around. She only needed the thunder, and possibly the lightning. She opened her eyes and listened to the voices around her, the happy chattering of the sprites mining color crystal. The voices mingled with those of the Color Kids on duty, but Stormy didn't care who was with the sprites.

Pulling the clouds toward her, Stormy began to direct their movement over the Color Caves. It was a slow process because she didn't want it to see so sudden. Slowly, the clouds blocked out the sunny sky and the day became grey. Once the clouds were in position, Stormy listened once more. She couldn't hear individual conversations, but she knew that someone had to notice the change in the weather all of a sudden. She raised a hand to the sky, and began the first of many rumblings of thunder. She intertwined this with sudden bursts of lightning that would make anyone jump from fear.

She could hear the sprites crying out in surprise and grinned to herself. This was too easy. The hardest part was being patient. She waited for a few moments before continuing her torment. She heard the sprites cry out once more and heard the Color Kids trying to calm them down. She giggled. She conjured up a particularly large boom, once that echoed throughout the Color Caves. She was rewarded with more screams and the distinct dropping of pick axes.

Stormy couldn't remember how long she continued to scare the sprites, but it was enough to satisfy her. By the time she had finished, she couldn't hear any sounds of mining from within the mines, but she did hear the chatter of scared sprites. She heard the voices of the Color Kids trying to calm them down without much success. She turned away from the Color Caves, smirking. There wouldn't be much work completed today.

_~ End Flashback ~_

Murky didn't look up when Stormy entered his laboratory. He was too busy jotting down notes and equations into a new book of his for his newest project idea. It was a rough idea, but it would be a marvelous creation to use on Rainbow Land to enforce his laws once he became the new ruler. He only looked up when his pen ran out of ink. He replaced it in the inkwell and noticed Stormy waiting to catch his attention, her eyes focused on him. "I take it you scared the sprites?" he asked.

"Yes. They don't like thunder or lightning," replied Stormy. "They yelled and ran about. The Color Kids couldn't calm them down. I don't think they'll be mining much longer today." Stormy looked at the floor. Suddenly her fun didn't seem so grand. It was just some silly task that Murky had given her to prove herself. It didn't really matter to him.

Murky rested his elbows on the table and looked at the girl who stood before him. Then he looked back down at his notes for his latest project. It would make a nice addition to his future kingdom. He'd combine the two and then he'd be unstoppable. The thought made him laugh to himself. He then focused on Stormy once more. "Good. I have your next task. I've found out that the Rainbow brat is going on a night picnic tonight to see the stars." Murky made a face as he spoke, finding the entire idea disgusting. "She's going to see the stars with her friends," he mocked, twirling a finger about before pointing it directly at Stormy. "You're going to ruin it. Make it rain, block the clouds, just ruin her good time."

"Where will they be?"

Murky rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure. You'll have to find that out yourself. You can do that, can't you?" He glared at her.

Anger started to well up inside Stormy, but she merely acknowledged Murky, answering his question. "Yes."

"Good. Then go to Rainbow Land tonight when the moon begins to rise and follow them. Then ruin their fun."

"I will," answered Stormy, nodding.

"Then go. Keep in mind you're not to fail," reminded Murky as he took his pen from the inkwell and went back to writing down notes. He smirked at his newest notes and once again conjured the image of his potential creation in his mind.

Stormy turned and left the laboratory. Another silly task. All part of the idea of "proving herself". She wanted to get things over with. Why wait and then attack Rainbow Brite? Why not now? She smacked her hand against the wall. Part of her wanted to attack Rainbow tonight instead of spoiling some picnic. Another part of her refused to let her act on it. She didn't understand the conflicting emotions.

That evening Stormy snuck off to Rainbow Land long before the sun set. Unlike Murky, she wasn't sure of the time of day in Rainbow Land compared to the Pits. She left with plenty of time to spare, just in case. She wasn't going to mess up. As she crossed over into Rainbow Land, she felt a sigh of relief escape her lips. Now that she was away from Murky, she could take care of things her own way. She kept to the trees, making her way toward the Color Castle. The sun was just beginning to set; she could tell she'd be waiting for a little while until darkness enclosed the land.

Sprites were out and about, enjoying the sunset and spending time with their families. This made it harder for Stormy to sneak past without being seen. She had to settle for a bush farther away, unable to get any closer. She picked the tiny sticks and leaves from her hair and settled in, eyes on the Color Castle through a small hole within the bush. She would be able to see Rainbow and the Color Kids crossing the bridge to leave, and then follow them wherever they were headed to. She ignored the dull pain in her knees as she stayed in her crouched position, constantly watching the Color Castle.

Time passed and the sun set. Stars dotted the sky, along with the moon that providing a beam of natural light. It was a simple sky, white stars and white moon. Stormy stifled a yawn and tried to return feeling to her legs. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and looked back to the Color Castle. Rainbow was leading the Color Kids across the bridge that connected the Castle to the main land. Stormy saw that each of them carried something. The group turned left and began walking toward a large meadow.

Rising to her feet slowly, Stormy stretched and tried to work the feeling back into her legs. It felt funny to try to walk after the amount of time she'd spent hiding in the bushes. She glanced around before exiting the cover of the bush. She heard a _snap! _as she stepped forward and winced. She glanced around to see if anyone had heard her. Seeing no one, she took off, keeping to the shadows, her outfit blending in, save for her lilac hair.

"This spot is perfect!" commented Rainbow as she stopped atop the small grassy knoll. "Let's have our picnic here tonight."

Red Butler stepped forward, a red and white checkered blanket beneath his right arm. "Buddy and I will set up the blanket." He began unfolding it and handed a side to Buddy Blue, who'd set down the basket he'd carried with him. The two boys worked together to finish unfolding and spreading the large blanket over the hill. Once it was laid out, everyone else took a seat, setting their picnic contribution in front of themselves.

"I brought banana bread," spoke Canary Yellow, pulling a covering off a large plate to reveal the sliced fruit bread.

"I've brought some cherry pie," stated Red Butler. "Lala Orange helped me make it after I picked all the cherries." He smiled proudly at his cooking accomplishment.

"I have blueberries," said Buddy Blue, taking the cloth off the top of his basket.

"Oranges," called Lala Orange.

"I found some delicious limes," answered Patty O'Green with a glint in her eyes.

"Plums make for a tasty snack," commented Indigo, placing her basket into the center.

"Grapes are both delicious and healthy, as well as our garden yielded a plentiful bounty," remarked Shy Violet.

"And I made a fruit punch to wash it all down with," finished Rainbow, pointing to a jug and a basket that held cups.

From the bottom of the knoll, Stormy watched the group, concealed in the shadows and half hidden behind a large tree. She heard the laughter that floated off the top of the knoll, and felt strange inside, some new feeling that she had no words for. She clenched her fists together and released them slowly, only to clench them tighter in the next few moments as the laughter became louder. _I need to take care of this picnic_… she reminded herself, forcing the feeling aside to focus on her task at hand.

She looked to the starry sky and began to observe her surroundings, and what she was capable of doing. She could make out a few tiny wisps of clouds in the distance by squinting. Realizing that she was better off to use her powers instead, she closed her eyes and offered up a hand. _There… behind me… I can move them from the Pits. They'll soak up some more water on the way, which will be perfect…_ Stormy acted on her thoughts as she turned around, using a "come hither" motion to bring the clouds to her. The clouds obeyed; as they reached the edges near the knoll, Stormy slowed their speed, causing them to move in slowly. The sky that was once bespeckled with light became dark and overcast. She opened her eyes and listened for a change in conversation.

It suddenly became quiet on the knoll and Stormy grinned to herself. She would watch for a little longer to see what would happen. If all else failed, there was always the rain route. The clouds she had called had just enough water inside to create a small rain.

Rainbow was reaching for another piece of banana bread when she heard Lala Orange gasp. "Hey, what happened to the stars?" asked Lala Orange.

All the Color Kids looked up at the sky, now darker and without the tiny pinpricks of light. "That's strange," commented Shy Violet. "None of my predictions called for a cloudy night sky. It was supposed to be clear."

"Do you think they'll go away soon?" asked Indigo.

"I don't know," answered Rainbow. "Maybe they will and then we can see the stars again."

Stormy heard the hushed conversation on the knoll, but could not understand what was being said. All she knew was that no one left, no one seemed mad, nothing. She felt annoyed and without thinking, unleashed the storm that had built up inside the clouds. This time, she heard cries of surprise and saw plenty of movement. She giggled to herself. That was much better.

"We need to get out of the rain," said Red Butler.

"Let's go back to the Color Castle. It's nice and dry there," added Patty O'Green.

The Color Kids and Rainbow quickly covered and packed up their picnic gear. The squelching of their boots could be heard as they ran for the Color Castle, slipping and sliding in the soft, muddy areas. Stormy watched as they retreated and silently followed them back to the Color Castle. No one noticed the lone girl following behind them. Everyone was more concerned with getting out of the rain and being dry once more.

Stormy watched as the group headed down the main road that lead past the sprite houses. She stayed where she was, content with how the evening had turned out. She was about to turn around and head for the direction of the Pits, when she heard one of the girls cry out. She turned quickly, and caught Rainbow sliding on a patch of mud before falling face first into it. As Rainbow's friends gathered around her, concerned, Stormy giggled, a little too loudly.

"What was that?" asked Canary Yellow.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's scary," replied Indigo.

Rainbow pulled herself to her feet as both Buddy Blue and Red Butler held onto her hands. "It's probably just the wind playing tricks," she stated as she brushed some of the mud from her dress.

Stormy clamped a hand over her mouth. In her enjoyment, she'd forgotten to act quietly. She didn't need Rainbow discovering her identity before it was time. Quietly, she back peddled into the forest, disappearing from sight. As soon as she was far enough away from the sprite homes, she ran quickly, racing home.

The storm stopped as quickly as it had started, but by that time, no one was interested in a night picnic anymore. Much of the food was wet, and the bread and pie were soggy from all the water before being covered up. Each of the Color Kids had sought drier clothing while Rainbow cleaned up the mud that covered her front. It would be awhile before anyone would try to have a night picnic without making sure that no bad weather lurked near. Stars twinkled in the sky above the Color Castle, but no one even peeked out a window to watch the spectacle. Instead, beds were sought, a place of warmth and refuge.


	17. Stormy Skies

**Finally finished chapter 18 tonight. I do know things are getting closer to the end of the story, but I can't estimate how much longer it will be. My ideas though are culminating toward the ending I've envisioned for a long time, and I'm quite pleased. I've been eager to write that ending and I hope to be able to do so in the next few months. For now, enjoy this chapter :)**

**Chapter 16 Stormy Skies  
**

Her footsteps fell lightly on the ground as she followed the pathway that would lead her to her destination. Moonlight was her guide, and she felt confident enough that she would not be seen. It was very late at night, and she risked this knowing that the inhabitants of Rainbow Land would all be tucked into their beds, fast asleep. Of course, they wouldn't be for long if she had anything to do with it. Very few sounds could be heard. The wind rustled through the trees. She could hear her heart beating against her chest and hoped that no one else could hear it. To her it sounded as though it were loud enough to give her away. She tried to refocus. Once she was hidden against the side of the Color Castle, she would be all set. She'd make sure it was a night that no one would forget for a long time.

It had taken her a few days to prepare, but she felt confident that she had what she needed at her fingertips. Silently, she raised her right hand to the sky and began coaxing her work toward her, to move swiftly and silently. The large clouds began gathering and moving in force from the direction of the Pits. Stormy infused her own special touch with them, turning them into ferocious storm clouds. Already she could hear the soft roll of thunder and it lulled her, relaxing her. Nothing was more soothing than that. She grinned as the clouds stopped over one particular spot- directly above the Color Castle.

In her mind, Stormy had already worked out the way she wanted the storm to go. She'd start with a soft rain, one that would lull Rainbow and the Color Kids into a false sense of calm and peacefulness if they were still awake. Most likely, everyone was fast asleep, but Stormy wanted to be sure. Rain pattered softly onto the walls and down into the grass and water, creating a soft symphony. It allowed Stormy to prepare herself for what was to come next. Her fingers waved slowly, as if by their own accord, and suddenly, what had started as a gentle nighttime rain turned ferocious.

Lightning struck while thunder rumbled loudly. Stormy had made sure that the storm was concentrated over the Color Castle only, thereby less energy was wasted on locations that didn't matter in the long run. Rain smacked the walls like tiny water bullets and the flashes of lightning filled the sky. As she drew her hand away for the moment, Stormy watched the storm, rain pelting her body as she stood unprotected beside the castle, unaffected.

_~ Inside the Color Castle ~_

Patty O'Green shot up in her bed, woken by a sudden loud noise. At first, she wondered if something had fallen in her room or out of her packed closet. She listened hard in the darkness and then saw the flash of lightning, followed by the loud boom of thunder. She jumped instinctively before gathering all the courage she could muster. She wasn't afraid of a thunder storm. She lay back down in her bed and covered her head with the green bedspread, which only slightly muted out the next round of thunder and lightning.

"Not afraid, not afraid, not afraid," she chanted over and over to herself in a hushed voice, trying to convince her mind of the way she felt, or at least, wanted to feel. She winced as she heard yet another loud rumbling of thunder. Undaunted, she continued her mantra.

However, she froze when she heard her door creaking open. She dared not peek out from underneath the bedspread least some unspeakable scary thing was there to grab her. She tried to make herself feel as small as possible, hoping that it was nothing and only her imagination.

"Patty?" called the soft voice, a tinge of fear laced into it.

Patty peeked her head out from under the bedspread and looked up at Lala Orange, who was laced in shadows in the frame of her bedroom door. She swallowed the fear she felt, not wanting Lala to know that she didn't like the storms. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm scared…I don't like the thunder and lightning," replied Lala Orange in a soft voice, her hands drawn to her chin. "Can I stay with you?"

Patty O'Green sat up, draping the bedspread around her head and body. "Sure. The storms not that bad, just really loud," she answered, putting on a brave front. As if to counteract her, a large round of thunder rumbled and lightning lit the room for a brief second before enshrouding it in darkness once more. Patty yelped and pulled the bedspread over her head. She heard Lala Orange giggle. "I meant to do that!" she protested as she pulled the covers away.

Meanwhile, Twink had slid down the colorful pole into Rainbow's room, covering it with a heavy board. He hopped onto Rainbow's bed and then poked her cheek gently. "Rainbow? Rainbow?" he called in a worried voice, calling out in fear as another round of thunder rumbled.

Rainbow rubbed her eyes and sat up. "What is it, Twink?" she asked sleepily.

"There's a really bad storm outside…I can't sleep," explained Twink as he shook himself to get rid of the excess rain.

Rainbow held up her hands to block the water. "You can sleep down here tonight, Twink." Then she yawned again.

"You can sleep through it?" asked Twink, astonished.

Looking at him thoughtfully, Rainbow answered. "I guess so," she replied. "Good night, Twink." She pulled the covers up to her chin once more and closed her eyes. Twink watched her before another rumble of thunder sent him scampering for the safety of the covers.

Stormy held out her hands, cupping them together to catch the falling rain in them. The water seeped through her fingers and dripped onto the ground. Stormy herself was soaked to the bone, but this didn't phase her. Instead, she moved through the soft, wet grass and made her way around the Color Castle. Curiosity got the better of her and she slipped inside the door, the sound of her squelching boots echoing off the empty hall. Her urges got the better of her, and not letting anyone know she was in the Color Castle was at the very back of her mind.

Muddy footprints followed Stormy as she slowly walked through the main level of the Color Castle. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as she wandered about. She came upon the Color Console set into the far wall with a set of buttons on it. She studied the machine, uncertain of what it was or what it did. She pressed a red button, but the machine did nothing. Losing interest, her eyes caught sight of a set of spiral stairs that led upward. Her feet soon followed her eyes.

As she walked down the upstairs hallway, her fingers moved about in the darkness, manipulating the storm's volume to drown out her footsteps. Loud booms of thunder could be heard and the castle walls made the booms echo and bounce. Stormy looked to her left, coming upon a door with a large star on the outside. The door was halfway closed, with enough space for her to squeeze through. She stood, peering around the door into the room. A flash of lightning lit the room for a couple of seconds, allowing her to see the shape of a young girl curled up in bed with one of the sprites. _Rainbow Brite…_ thought Stormy, feeling a twinge of anger.

Crossing the room on tiptoe, Stormy made her way closer to the bed. She noticed that Rainbow wasn't scared of the storm and seemed to be sleeping through it. Stormy called for a large boom of thunder with a flick of her fingers, but the thunder didn't disturb Rainbow in the least. Angry, Stormy turned and marched out of the room, a large bolt of lightning lighting the room upon her exit.

Twink sat up quickly at the sound, frightened by the volume of it. He looked about the room, certain that he'd seen someone else across the room, near the door. He rubbed his eyes, and looked once more, but saw nothing.

"What is it, Twink?" asked Rainbow sleepily.

"I thought I saw someone else in the room," replied Twink.

"Maybe it was one of the Color Kids," suggested Rainbow.

"It didn't look like one of the Color Kids," answered Twink in confusion.

"That's silly, Twink. No one else is in the Color Castle but us and the Color Kids."

Stormy wandered down the hallway, noticing more doors with stars on them. These doors had colored stars, and Stormy wondered if the colored star matched the Color Kid that was inside. She came upon a door with a green star, which was ¾ of the way open. Inside, she heard voices whispering back and forth to each other. She crept closer, peering inside at the two figures. Lightning struck and lit the area for a few seconds. In that time, Stormy saw the two girls looking back at her, their eyes wide with shock. She took her exit quickly, not daring to run and risk her footsteps being overheard.

"Did you see that?" asked Lala Orange. "It looked like another girl."

"I saw her," answered Patty O'Green. "I just thought my brain was playing tricks on me."

"I wonder if Rainbow knows."

"If she knew, I'm sure she would do something about it. Rainbow wouldn't let someone else enter the Color Castle."

"Are you sure she's not real? Maybe it was just a trick. This storm is scaring me," rambled Lala Orange.

"It's okay," soothed Patty O'Green. "If we sleep we won't have to hear it. It'll be daylight soon." She snuggled down under the bedspread and closed her eyes, trying to block out the storm. A rustling beside her told her that Lala Orange was trying to do the same.

The next morning, Rainbow woke to Twink shaking her. "Rainbow! Someone's been in the Color Castle! Come see!" he shouted.

Rainbow sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Wha? What's wrong, Twink?" she mumbled groggily.

"Rainbow! Someone's been in the Color Castle! Come quick! Come quick!" Twink hopped from foot to foot on the bed, bouncing Rainbow about.

Twink's words sunk in and Rainbow was suddenly jolted awake. "How do you know?" she asked, throwing back the bedspread.

Twink raced ahead of her. "There's footprints everywhere! Look!" he shouted as he crossed the threshold.

Rainbow looked on in wide-eyed disbelief. She saw muddy footprints up and down the hallway, dried upon the hard floor. They seemed to go from the stairs down the hallway and then back again. Whoever had been in the Color Castle had left the same way they'd come. "Who was it?"

"We don't know yet," answered Red Butler.

Noticing the rest of the Color Kids looking as surprised and confused as she was, Rainbow looked back at the prints, trying to study them closely. She had no idea how to identify them.

"I found it!" called a voice down the hallway. Rainbow looked up and saw Shy Violet walking quickly toward her, holding up a large magnifying glass.

"Your magnifying glass?" asked Rainbow.

Shy Violet adjusted her glasses before replying. "Yes. I had been studying some color crystal samples last night before the storm. It was quite a fascinating study, and I forgot to put my magnifying glass away. It ended up under my bed without me noticing. I'm not quite sure how." She bent over, holding the magnifying glass close to the prints and then pulling it back. "Hmm…"

"What do you think?" asked Rainbow.

Shy Violet looked up at Rainbow. "I don't know who it is. They aren't any of ours. The bottom of the shoe is too different from what I've seen. They're not Murky or Lurky's either. If I take a sample of the prints, I might be able to study them better and come to a conclusion. It'll take time though."

Rainbow nodded. "Okay." She looked up at the Color Kids. "We'll have to work together to clean up the prints after Shy Violet finishes with them. I know it'll be a lot of work, but if we work together, it won't take very long."

Stormy rose sleepily from bed. She didn't know when she fell asleep, but she knew it was near morning by the time she reached the edge of the Pits. She had merely changed out of her clothes into a drab grey dress before collapsing into her bed. It had been a good night in the end. She only hoped Murky would be satisfied with it.

"Stormy! Stormy!" yelled Murky loudly, bursting into her room and slamming open the door.

Stormy had just finished changing into her regular outfit. She looked at Murky as she finished making the braid in her hair. "What?"

Murky pointed an accusing finger at her. "You were in Rainbow Land last night, weren't you?"

"I was scaring Rainbow and the Color Kids with my storms," retorted Stormy, crossing her arms.

"I didn't tell you to go to Rainbow Land," snapped Murky, poking Stormy in the chest with a finger. "You don't go unless I tell you to go!"

"Murky!" called Lurky in a sing-song voice. He was outside of Stormy's door. "Oh Murrrrky!"

"What is it you bumbling oaf?" spat Murky as he spun around to face the door. Lurky stood there, hands clasped in front of him.

"Gee, Murky that black inky stuff you made is all over your lab. It's made the floor slippery. See?" He turned around, showing a thick black line that went from the top of his head and all the way down his backside. "I slipped and fell in it."

Murky sprinted for the door. "You fool! Why didn't you tell me sooner? It's not supposed to do that!" He quickly disappeared and Lurky wandered after him.

Stormy sighed once the room was quiet again and walked over to her window. She looked out at the dull grey skies, drawing comfort from them. She had gone to Rainbow Land on her own, but she had wanted to prove herself once and for all to Murky. It was meant to be a secret for him to discover, but somehow, he'd found out. Suddenly, she didn't want to be anywhere near the Pits, but something inside her tugged at her, and made her stay put. Instead of leaving Murky's lair, she exited her room and made her way to visit Skydancer. Perhaps that would cheer her up.


	18. Attempt at Freedom

**It's Christmas and so what better gift than to give everyone a new chapter of Lost Storms? I'd actually finished two chapters over Thanksgiving Break, but declined to post the second one at that time. I was saving it for some other time. Of course, that chapter isn't this one; it just means I have a slightly bigger backlog. I do like this chapter, but it was hard to write from all the various viewpoints that became incorporated into it. It does make a nice setup for Chapter 18. Anyway, enjoy and Merry Christmas!**

**Chapter 17 Attempt at Freedom**

The morning in the Color Castle flew by. Rainbow and the Color Kids worked hard to clean away the mess that had been left overnight while Shy Violet worked in her laboratory to analyze the footprints and figure out who had entered during the night.

Indigo wiped the sweat off her brow. "This is taking forever. How many more footprints do we have to clear away?"

Canary Yellow turned her head to look at the indigo Color Kid. "We've finished the downstairs and the stairs. We just have the rest of the hallway to do."

Buddy Blue looked up from where he was scrubbing the floor. "Just think of it as good exercise. It really works the muscles."

"Always exercise, Buddy?" asked Patty O'Green.

"But I love exercise!" protested Buddy Blue.

Rainbow sensed the beginnings of an argument as she came up from the main hallway. She searched for something to say. She didn't want the Color Kids to start arguing. The mystery intruder was causing problems and this time it didn't seem to be Murky and Lurky. She opened her mouth to speak, but was saved from doing so when Shy Violet opened the door of her room and walked into the hallway.

"I've finished analyzing the footprints," she called, easily grabbing everyone's attention.

"Who is it?" asked Red Butler.

Shy Violet shook her head sadly. "I don't know. It's not Murky, and it's not Lurky. I can confirm that. I don't know otherwise. The boot size appears to be similar to many of ours. I can't say anything else without more clues."

Patty O'Green suddenly looked up at Shy Violet. "Well, last night Lala Orange and I thought we saw a girl in the doorway of my room."

"Yeah," added Lala Orange. "But then the lightning struck and she was gone."

"We thought it was a trick," finished Patty O'Green.

Shy Violet rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "It could have been a trick of the mind because of the storm, but it also could have been the intruder. Did you see anything else?" Both girls shook their heads. "It's a start. We'll have to keep an eye out. Murky and Lurky may be part of this."

Rainbow smiled. She could always count on Shy Violet to come through. "Thanks, Shy Violet. We'll keep a watch."

"You're welcome. What can I do to help finish cleaning up?"

Skydancer's hooves pounded against the stone floor of the Pits as Stormy raced him along the various paths that intertwined throughout the area. She'd been riding all morning, growing more tired with each round. A few hours of sleep didn't restore her, not after an exhausting night. She wanted to sleep again, but didn't dare go anywhere near where Murky was for fear of his anger. If one of his creations wasn't going right, his mood wouldn't be either.

Stormy found herself growing bored of Murky and his plan. She wanted what he wanted, but more importantly, she wanted it all to herself. She wanted to beat Rainbow Brite once and for all. This thought was pleasing, but not when Murky wouldn't let her do as she pleased. She spurred Skydancer onward, up to the highest point in the Pits. From this point she was barely able to see the glimmer of Rainbow Land on the horizon. Forgetting everything else, she urged Skydancer toward Rainbow Land without a second thought.

Murky slammed his fists on the lab table. "She's what?!" he roared.

"She's not there Murky. I checked," replied Lurky.

"And Skydancer's gone too."

Lurky nodded sadly. "The horsey's gone too."

Murky rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow. "That brat is going to ruin my plans! We need to find her and fast. I don't want Rainbow finding out about her just yet!"

"How will we do that, Murky?" asked Lurky, scratching his head.

"Go get the Grunge Buggy, spinach breath!"

At the edge of Rainbow Land, Stormy scoped out the landscape, taking the time to get to notice the area. Skydancer lingered close by, munching on tufts of the fresh grass every so often. Stormy could see the Color Castle in the distance, wondered what Rainbow was up to. That storm must have made her tired from not being able to sleep.

Stormy's eyes glanced back toward the Pits, knowing that Murky may know she was gone. If that was the case, she didn't have much time. Thunder rumbled in the distance and for a second, Stormy longed to increase it, to unite with the storm. She shook her head to clear away the sudden urge. She had to focus, and not on the Pits.

Once more, she looked to the Color Castle, looming like a beacon in the distance. She squinted to see any activity, but was too far away. She would have to get closer to see whether or not the storm had had its effect on the inhabitants of the Color Castle.

Without thinking, she pulled herself onto Skydancer's back and spurred him on down the main path. She had a plan in mind and wanted to see once and for all what she could do. _Rainbow Brite will soon fall_ she thought to herself.

Twink and his fellow sprites happily worked in the mines, collecting the color crystals. Rainbow had sent him off to keep the other sprites busy at work while the Color Castle put back into order. Twink walked his rounds, making sure that an even number of crystals were being mined, and that no one spot was being over mined. He looked down at his list, and then realized that more indigo color crystals were needed.

"Lycee! We need more indigo! More indigo crystals!" he shouted as he ran to an indigo crystal wall, where a sprite of the same color whistled to himself as he used his pick ax to tap away.

Lycee looked over to Twink and replied in acknowledgement, a cheerful response as he pointed to his section of the wall, and then the pile beside him that was almost as tall as he was.

Twink frowned slightly. "But we need more! Rainbow needs them for…uh…" He scratched his head. He had no idea why Rainbow wanted more indigo crystals. He only knew that it had been written on his paper.

Lycee questioned Twink's confusion, but got no reply. Twink appeared to be in his own world, rubbing his chin as he looked at his list. Lycee shrugged and went back to mining the indigo crystals.

It was at that moment that an orange sprite ran into the mines, frantic and in a panic. He danced back and forth, shouting to get the other sprites' attention. All eyes turned to the excited sprite, and listened to what he had to say. Most were confused by his cries of a strange horse and girl, and others ran to see what the commotion was. Twink was trying to restore order to the group, which wasn't helping at all. Even Lycee dashed out of the Color Caves and looked over the cliff toward the Color Castle. Everyone was interested in this new person, who could be seen riding toward the Castle at that very moment.

Red Butler rushed to Rainbow, who had been working closely with Shy Violet on helping to identify the intruder. He was out of breath, and stopped briefly in the doorway to catch it before speaking to the two girls. "There's… another girl… Rainbow," he said between breaths.

"What are you talking about, Red?" asked Rainbow.

"There's another girl… with a horse… and she's headed for the Color Castle!" exclaimed Red Butler. "No one's ever seen her before."

Rainbow rose from her seat, looking concerned. Shy Violet rose to stand behind her. "What does she want?"

"I don't know, but she's almost to the Castle!"

Dashing past Red Butler, Rainbow rushed down the stairs and out the main door, coming to stand with the other Color Kids who had gathered to watch along the bridge. Nervously, Rainbow move to the front to face the stranger, who's outline she could see in the distance, the horse she rode upon kicking up dust along the path.

Twink rushed to Rainbow's side, coming from behind the Color Castle. He had taken one of the mine carts and used it to quickly ride to Rainbow when he had failed to calm the mining sprites. "Rainbow! She's coming!" he yelled as he ran.

Rainbow's head turned to glance at her furry friend. "I know, Twink. Let me handle this. Do you have star sprinkles, just in case?"

Twink nodded. "Of course, Rainbow." Twink patted the pouch at his side, which jingled.

Stormy urged Skydancer forward, ignoring the dust and the cries of sprites along the road. She was creating panic already and the adrenaline that resulted from that rush only encouraged her more. "Keep going, Skydancer! Don't stop until we reach Rainbow!" she yelled.

While she focused her eyes on the road, she raised one hand from Skydancer's mane and lifted it to the sky. She felt out the clouds in the area and began pulling them to her. They would come in handy shortly.

Closer and closer the Color Castle came, until she was directly in front of the bridge. Skydancer halted, having followed his mistress's command. Stormy looked down from her perch, and smirked. Rainbow and the Color Kids were there to greet her.

"What do you want?" Rainbow asked, staring back up at the strange girl, dressed in shades of grey. The only color on her was the bright lavender hair on her head. It seemed out of place with the rest of her clothing. Deep down, Rainbow had a feeling that this strange girl worked for Murky. She didn't recall ever seeing her before.

"I want Rainbow Land for myself," stated Stormy. "You're in my way."

Rainbow took a defensive stance. "You can't have it. I'll stop you."

Thunder and lightning boomed and flashed ominously in the distance. No one made the connection that Stormy was the cause of the rapidly approaching storm. "I want you to race me," she declared. "Your horse and my own."

For a second, Rainbow froze. She had not expected to hear that. "Why a race?"

Stormy slid off of Skydancer. "You'll race me," she stated once more, pointing at Rainbow.

"I don't think so," injected another voice.

All eyes turned to the source, coming face to face with Murky, who held a strange gun with a long barrel.

"Murky!" exclaimed Rainbow.

"You're none of my concern, Rainbow brat," spat Murky before turning to face Stormy. "You are though!"

Stormy stared back at Murky, standing her ground. She didn't say a word, only crossed her arms across her chest.

"You weren't supposed to do this! I never told you to face Rainbow! If you were discovered, you were to make her trust you, not challenge her! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" ranted Murky, waving his gun in the air wildly.

"I wanted to do it my way," retorted Stormy.

"And I'm going to fix that," replied Murky, grinning. He aimed the barrel directly at Stormy and before another word could be spoken, he pulled the trigger. A dark grey cloud shot forth from the gun, coating Stormy.

Stormy coughed and fanned the air to get rid of the cloud. She started to reply to Murky, but her mind suddenly became blank, and she couldn't remember what she was trying to say. She couldn't remember why she was standing in front of Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids. "I…"

"You will return to the Pits at once," declared Murky. "And I'll deal with you there. Get back on Skydancer and return at once."

"Yes," answered Stormy before climbing back onto Skydancer. Without another word, she turned the horse around and rode off to the Pits. Murky watched her go before he and Lurky disappeared down the road, not bothering to do anything to Rainbow or the Color Kids.

Rainbow stood frozen for a few moments, unsure of what had just taken place or what to think. Just as quickly as the girl had shown up, she'd left. She tried to speak, but couldn't find her voice.

"She's under some type of mind control concoction," stated Shy Violet, putting into words what Rainbow couldn't. "Interesting how it absorbs into the skin to take affect. Or perhaps it must be inhaled…" Shy Violet rubbed her chin as she contemplated the idea, fascinated.

"Rainbow?" asked Canary Yellow. "What do we do now?"

Finding her voice, Rainbow turned to face her friends. "I… I don't know," she admitted. Rainbow was in a position that she never thought she'd be in. This girl wanted to take Rainbow Land from her and all that she'd worked for, yet she was controlled by Murky when he wanted her to do his bidding. Right and wrong were blurred, and Rainbow didn't know where to begin to untangle the web.


	19. Change of Plans

**To be honest, I was going to upload this earlier, I believe on the 26th of last month. However, was being a major pain and kept giving me an error message when I tried to upload anything. However, that's not the case today, is it? Here's chapter 18. I'm sorry I've not written more on this story. I'm working on chapter 23, but I've set that aside for now, because I need to think on it. It's one of those chapters that needs care in being written. I promise though I'll work on it. Until then, I'll try to upload monthly chapters for you to read and enjoy.**

**Chapter 18 Change of Plans**

Stormy sat on the stone floor, legs crossed and her eyes focused on a spot on the wall behind her. Murky had banished her back to the Pits and she'd barely had time to place Skydancer in his stable room before Murky had stormed into his lair, ranting and raving. He'd quickly summoned Stormy to his laboratory, and here she'd sat for the rest of the afternoon while Murky went on a tirade to berate and belittle her.

"Why did you even try that?!" shouted Murky, slamming a book on his table.

Stormy didn't answer him. She merely stared at the spot behind him. She wanted to speak up. Murky didn't want to hear what she wanted. Stormy didn't want to do what he wanted, yet, she felt compelled to. She couldn't fight the urge and she couldn't resist him.

"You weren't supposed to let Rainbow know you existed! Now you've messed everything up!" He glared at her and then smirked. "Tell me why you approached Rainbow."

Stormy tried to hold back, but found that she couldn't. The words came tumbling from her lips before she could do anything to stop it. "I wanted to challenge Rainbow Brite to a race. I wanted to see who was stronger, and defeat her."

"You're not ready to do that yet. You've ruined my plan. Now Rainbow knows you exist and that you're with me. She'll never trust you. This completely changes the plan…" he mused, mumbling so softly to himself that Stormy couldn't hear the rest of his thoughts. Murky paced the floor, rubbing his chin. He needed a new plan.

Stormy watched Murky with slight interest. It was interesting to see him pace back and forth, for a short while. She soon grew bored, and turned her attention to Lurky, who had two wooden figures with him. He was at the table nearest the window, playing with them. "Run horsey, run!" he said to himself, moving the corresponding figure as he spoke. "Oh you can beat him!" he called as he moved the second horse along. Stormy soon noticed that she wasn't the only one watching Lurky.

"That's it!" Murky snapped his fingers in triumph. He turned to face Stormy. "You're going to race Rainbow Brite," he stated, stepping closer to her.

Stormy looked up at him, confused. Wasn't that what she had been trying to do in the first place? She said nothing.

"That annoying Sprite Fair is coming up, and there's always a horse show for her horse. This year, you'll race him. If Skydancer is as good as you think he is, then he'll easily beat that brat and her horse." Murky smirked at the thought. "While you're racing against her, I can put my own plan into action." He rubbed his hands together with glee. "Yes, it's perfect. I'll send the invitation to that brat myself." He pointed to Stormy. "Your job is to train that horse of yours to win a race. That's the only thing you'll be doing!" Without another word, Murky banished Stormy from his lair, his command firmly imprinted in her mind.

Over the next few days, Stormy worked relentlessly with Skydancer, racing back and forth on the many paths that wound throughout the Pits. She could do nothing else, no matter how hard she tried to fight the invisible barrier that always seemed to hold her back. It was much stronger than before, and Stormy found that she could not contradict it. Instead, she thrust all her anger into her training. She pushed Skydancer forward, always urging him, pushing him to the next level. No matter what Murky wanted, she did not want to lose to Rainbow. She would never lose to Rainbow.

Murky hummed a gloomy tune, strapping his favorite gloom gun to his back. "Lurky! Fetch the grunge buggy!" he called.

"Where are we going, Murky?"

"To Rainbow Land. I have a message for Rainbow that I'm sure will make her gloomy!" cackled Murky.

Lurky returned shortly with the grunge buggy and Murky hopped into the side car. Lurky sped off toward Rainbow Land, leaving a cloud of exhaust trailing behind him. Nearby, Stormy watched the pair leave, coughing as the exhaust settled around her. She wanted to go to Rainbow Land. She wanted to force Rainbow to race her. She wanted to prove herself. Now Murky was doing that for her, and there was nothing she could do about it, no matter how much she wanted to. She turned away from the path and stared hard at the ground. Skydancer nuzzled the back of her head.

"Good day, sprites," cackled Murky as the sprites scattered into their houses. "Great day for running!" He laughed some more and then focused on the task ahead of him.

Lurky slammed on the brakes as Rainbow riding atop Starlite and a few of the Color Kids ran into the path up ahead. She glared at the evil pair as Murky hopped from his place. Lurky soon followed, climbing slowly from the driver's seat.

"What do you want, Murky Dismal?" asked Rainbow, none too happy. The Color Kids stood behind her, as though she was a shield. Twink stood in front of her, an angry look on his face.

"I have a challenge for you, Rainbow Brite," spoke Murky. He let those words sink in. "I want your horse to race my horse at the Sprite Fair. That'll be fun, won't it?"

"Why?" asked Rainbow. "What do you want?"

"I want to see that my horse can win, of course. If I win though…" he trailed her, baiting Rainbow.

"What do you get if you win?" she asked.

"Your Color Belt. If I win, I get your Color Belt. And if you win, you can have my horse and its rider."

Rainbow paused, surprised. She hadn't expected Murky's proposal. Her mind quickly flashed to the image of the girl he'd retrieved from Rainbow Land before. She must be the rider he spoke of. She…

"Don't do it, Rainbow," said Shy Violet, piercing her thoughts.

"Rainbow'll never agree to that!" declared Red Butler as he took a step forward toward Murky.

"Yeah, Rainbow would never risk losing the Color Belt," added Indigo. The other Kids all nodded in agreement.

"And I would never lose to some other horse," interjected Starlite. "I'm too magnificent, and I've never lost a race to any horse."

Rainbow patted his neck to calm Starlite. She thought hard about what to do. She didn't want to lose the Color Belt, but she wanted to get that girl away from Murky. She wondered what Murky would do if she turned him down. She had noticed the gloom gun he carried on his back, and knew he had to have a backup plan in mind just for that purpose. What was the right thing to do? She didn't answer the Color Kids as she thought and considered Murky's proposition.

"Well, Rainbow? What will it be?" asked Murky.

"We'll race," replied Rainbow, completely unsure of herself.

"What?" asked Red Butler. "Rainbow, you can't race against him!"

Before Rainbow could reply, Murky spoke up. "Good choice." He cackled with glee, rubbing his hands together. Then, before anyone could react, he pulled his gloom gun from behind his back and sprayed Rainbow with it. He dashed off, Lurky moving more slowly behind him.

Rainbow swayed on Starlite, losing focus as the gloom began taking temporary control of her body. She fell forward onto Starlite's neck, dazed and dismal. "I'm gonna lose to Murky," she remarked to no one in particular. "He'll win for sure."

The Color Kids gathered around as Starlite lowered his body to the ground. They gathered Rainbow up and together they all helped take her to her bed to rest while the effects of the gloom gun wore off.

Days passed and soon, the Sprite Fair had taken over Rainbow Land. It was one of the biggest spring time events, and everyone had a hand in preparing for the big event. Starlite had disappeared, taking the time to train. He wouldn't let anyone watch him, nor would he talk about it.

Rainbow made her way through the crowded thoroughfare, Twink at her side. Twink was hyper active, panicking over things not being completed when the fair opened that morning. "Let's go, let's go !" he called, clapping his hands together. "Get that tent up quickly! We have to make sure everyone has plenty to eat!" He would often dash ahead of Rainbow, checking out the stalls and rides, making sure everything was just so. It was one of his many special quirks. Rainbow could only smile at his antics.

As she walked, she overheard the sprites' conversations. Many were discussing the fair, and the various activities, stalls, and rides that one could visit. What was on the minds of many though was the upcoming horse race. There had never been a horse race at the sprite fair before. Usually there was an event where Starlite was the star of the show, able to show off any and all of his tricks. It played right into his egotistical side, but no one seemed to mind. Starlite would often give rides to the young sprites at the end of his show, leaving many happy memories imprinted on the minds of the older sprites. The change in the schedule had quickly spread about Rainbow Land. There wasn't a sprite who didn't know of the race and its implications.

Of course, the sprites made sure to build a grand racetrack for the event. A large field nearby had been quickly turned into a long oval track. In the center of the oval was a large patch of lush green grass and a tower for the announcer of the race. Off to one side was an area boxed off on three sides for the horses that would partake in the race. It was meant to be a resting area prior to the race starting, and would be where the horses ran from when called to the starting line. Large wooden stands had been built around the track; the constructing sprites expected a large crowd to turn out. Flags of rainbow colors had been looped on the front and sides, giving the cheering sections a bright, vivid, and cheerful appearance. Flags were placed around the outer edges of the racetrack, beckoning to all who saw them.

Rainbow smiled and waved to those who passed and spoke with her. She couldn't let anyone know that she was really scared and nervous about the upcoming race. She was still unsure of her decision to race in the first place. Things would either turn out well, or go terribly wrong. She looked toward the racetrack. Her gut, however, had a bad feeling about what was to happen.

Murky hummed to himself, looking in a piece of cracked glass, using it as a mirror. He finished tying the bandana around his neck and then settled the ten gallon hat atop his head. His boots echoed as he stepped through his lair, the spurs clanking.

"Gee Murky, why are ya dressed like that?" asked Lurky, scratching his head.

Murky turned to look at his assistant. "It's none of your concern. Now go get the grunge buggy, meathead. I'll go get the girl."

"The girl" was sitting in her room, crossed legged on her bed. She focused on the wall, picturing how she wanted the race to turn out. She would win the race easily. Skydancer had been trained hard since Murky had challenged Rainbow, and Stormy knew he would win. There was no question about it. She would win, and then she could defeat Rainbow.

The door to her room slammed open. "There you are," called Murky. "Let's go. It's almost time for the race."

Stormy slid from her bed and moved to follow Murky. She finally had the chance to do as she wanted…

"And before you even think of disobeying me, I'll take care of you," he stated, quickly drawing a gloom gun from the holster on his side, taking aim, and pulling the trigger. A cloud settled over Stormy, and quickly began to take effect. It was the same juice that Murky had always given her, but he'd turned it into a cloud form that was compatible with his many varieties of gloom guns. "Now, go get your horse and meet me outside." He watched as Stormy complied with his request without question.

Murky headed for the front of his lair, knowing Lurky would be waiting with the grunge buggy. Sure enough, Lurky was there, as was Stormy with her horse. Lurky was petting Skydancer, a huge grin plastered on his face. Stormy relaxed against the walls of the lair, arms crossed. Her eyes stared out into the distance, focused on nothing in particular.

"Are we gonna win today, Murky?" asked Lurky.

"Of course we are bird brain! We can't lose to any horse. Isn't that right, Stormy?" he asked, smirking.

"Yes," she answered tersely.

"Good. Now mount up and let's go. You'll ride beside the grunge buggy so I can keep an eye on you," he instructed. He smacked his forehead when he noticed Lurky trying to mount Skydancer. "Lurky! Not you! Get into the grunge buggy this instant!" he yelled.

Finally, the trio set off for Rainbow Land. Murky couldn't help but grin at the prospect of the race. By the end of the day, he would have the Color Belt, and Rainbow Land would be his. Then he could begin his true master plan. It had taken longer than he had wanted, but it would be worth it in the end. As he crossed into Rainbow Land, he didn't shy away from the bright and brilliant colors, but embraced them, for they would not last for much longer.

Sprites and Color Kids filtered into the racetrack, filling the stands to brimming. One could look around them and see the rainbow of colors present. The Color Kids sat spread out. Buddy Blue, Patty O'Green, and Canary Yellow sat together. In another part of the stands Red Butler and Lala Orange sat with groups of red and orange sprites. Indigo sat with Hammy, and Shy Violet sat with IQ, quietly contemplating the science behind the race and the probability that Starlite could win. Sprites happily chattered to their companions, eager for the fun to start and to see who would come out on top.

Twink climbed into the tower, waiting for the sun to reach its zenith before beginning the race. He bounced from foot to foot, his nerves getting the best of him. He didn't want Rainbow to lose her Color Belt. He didn't want to see Rainbow Land plunged into darkness like before. He shuddered at the memories. "I hope you know what you're doing, Rainbow," he said to himself.


	20. Risky Race

**With all the updating I've done lately, I think it's about time this poor story got updated too. After I finished the round of Simoun fics that were posted here, I started working on something I call Simoun Kindergarten. However, today I decided to sit and type up chapter 23 of Lost Storms and since I was able to finish it, I decided to update a few days early here. I can still say this story will end under 30 chapters, but even after completing chapter 23 I cannot give a definite chapter in which the story will end. Read and enjoy :)**

**Chapter 19 Risky Race**

Starlite pawed at the ground, the action merely reflex to ease his nerves. Rainbow rubbed behind his ears, trying to soothe him. "Don't be nervous, Starlite. You'll win the race. I know you will."

Starlite snorted. "I'm not nervous!" he protested. "I'm merely testing the ground's firmness, that's all. I could never be nervous about a race; I am the most magnificent horse in the universe, and I always win the race."

"Of course, Starlite. I know you will," replied Rainbow. She didn't speak of her nerves; no one expected her to be nervous about the race. She turned her head, hearing the sound of a sputtering exhaust pipe in the distance. "There's Murky."

Starlite perked up, making himself look as regal as possible. He would show nothing less to this newcomer.

Lurky halted the grunge buggy a few feet from Rainbow and Starlite. "Oh boy, another horsey!" he exclaimed happily. In his eagerness to exit the grunge buggy, he tripped over his shoelace and fell face first on the ground.

Murky ignored him for once, keeping his attention on Rainbow. "Ready to lose?" he crowed keenly.

"I'll never lose to you, Murky," replied Rainbow. She looked up as the unknown girl appeared on her midnight purple horse. The girl seemed to show no emotion. She merely stared forward, watching some spot beyond Rainbow.

"Sprites and…sprites! Welcome to the first horse race of Rainbow Land…."

Rainbow turned to listen as Twink's announcement continued. She readied Starlite. It was time. She rested her fingers on her Color Belt as she waited for her name.

"Rainbow and Starlite!"

The duo rushed from behind the partition. Starlite put forth his best effort while Rainbow waved to the crowd, a big smile plastered on her face. The crowd cheered loudly, jumping in their seats.

Murky quickly looked at Stormy. "Do whatever it takes to win the race. I don't care, as long as you win."

Stormy nodded. "I will."

"And now….uhh…uhm… Murky's rider!" shouted Twink.

"That's you. Now get out there!"

Stormy tapped Skydancer's side, pushing him into a run. She ran him onto the track, knowing she would stop him where Rainbow stood. She did not get the same welcome that Rainbow did. She heard the jeers from some sprites, but the stands were mostly silent.

"The rules for the race are as follows: do your best to win! You need to make four laps around the track to win the race!" He looked to the racers, making sure they understood his words. Then he picked up his checkered flag. "On your mark… get set… go!" He waved the flag back and forth as both horses kicked up dust.

Starlite and Skydancer each shot from the starting line, heading forward. Rainbow and Stormy held tight; Stormy was used to Skydancer's all out run and so held on with ease. Rainbow wasn't used to Starlite running full speed and so held on tight with both hands. She wanted to close her eyes, but didn't.

Not being able to help himself, Starlite kept glancing over at the other horse, watching him. Starlite had never really seen the horse before, and certainly not in action. His speed was fascinating, a horse born to run.

"Starlite?"

Rainbow's voice brought him back to reality. He focused his eyes on the track ahead and pushed harder, his hooves pounding the dirt. He would not lose to some new horse. _I'm the most magnificent after all!_ He thought to himself.

Stormy found that as she raced, her thoughts started to wander. She didn't know that it was because of Murky's open-ended command to control the mixture in her body. She wanted to win and knew she would. Skydancer was running easily, and Stormy knew that she could push him even further when needed. At this point, he was running neck and neck with Starlite. She decided that she'd let things continue on this path for the remainder of the lap. Why create worry when she had 3 more laps after this one?

Murky stood near the finish line, using a pair of binoculars to keep an eye on Stormy. "Come on, come on, come on," he muttered under his breath. He wanted Skydancer to win the race hands down, but that stupid horse was only keeping pace with Starlite. "That brat had better not let me down… this race could give me exactly what I need!"

Lurky stood next to Murky with a handheld telescope that Murky had given him. It was slightly bent, and Lurky was holding it backwards, but that didn't matter to Lurky. "Murky, why do the horseys look so far away?" He fiddled with the telescope, flipping it over and over in his hand. "Oh now they're closer! Are we winning yet?" he asked.

"Can it, microbe brain! I'm trying to watch the race!" was the short reply.

The sprites in the stands were going crazy with excitement. There wasn't a clear winner yet and they were cheering for Rainbow and Starlite, urging them forward.

"Go Rainbow!" yelled Patty O'Green.

"You can do it, Starlite!" shouted Buddy Blue.

Starlite and Skydancer headed into the second lap, and now Stormy urged Skydancer into a slight lead. She smiled to herself, feeling at ease. This race would be too easy to win. She looked behind her, and noticed Murky flailing in the distance. She would win. She could do whatever she wanted to win.

"That horse has a lead on me!" exclaimed Starlite, shocked.

"It's only a little one. Don't give up, Starlite. You can do it," encouraged Rainbow.

"Of course I can do it," replied Starlite. "I just wasn't expecting a horse that fast, that's all." He pushed himself harder, drawing up beside Skydancer once more.

Skydancer snorted as he ran. He didn't like the cocky white horse that ran near him. He would put the horse in his place.

"I know, Skydancer. You'll have no problem winning. This is easy right now. You'll go your fastest in a bit. We're gonna surprise them. They won't know what hit them."

The race continued, both horses finishing the second lap with ease. The crowd still cheered wildly, the racers tied neck and neck. Skydancer was still running easy, following Stormy's directions. He trusted the girl riding him and knew she had her reasons.

Shy Violet studied the race in front of her as did her helper sprite, IQ. "What do you think?" she asked him.

IQ chattered back to her. He emphasized his points with his hands before looking back at his Color Kid.

"I think you're right," she said, agreeing with a frown. It wasn't what she wanted to agree to, but the scientist in her wasn't denying the evidence placed in front of her.

Murky continued to study Stormy, getting angrier by the moment. "The race is half over, and she's still tied with that stupid horse! She should be winning! She should be finishing the race!" He hopped from foot to foot.

Twink looked nervously at Murky, hearing his every word. "Poor Rainbow… I hope she beats that other girl…" He brightened. "Of course she can. Rainbow would never let us down." He comforted himself with the thought, continuing to watch the race.

Stormy looked to the left, once more looking at Rainbow. The girl was speaking to Starlite, probably encouraging him to win the race. She smirked. Rainbow had no idea that she was moving slowly and holding back. She had no idea that on command Stormy could make Skydancer run twice as fast. Of course, that wouldn't be very fun. And Murky had said she could do whatever she wanted, as long as she won. Her fingers tapped against her dress in anticipation. She began to search out the clouds and bring them to her. It was time to win, once and for all.

Gasps of surprise filled the air as sprites and Color Kids looked to the sky in shock. What had once been a bright, sunny day was suddenly turning into a grey, stormy one. The sun disappeared behind large storm clouds as the sky became dark and gloomy.

"What's going on?" asked Lala Orange.

"I don't know. It was sunny just a moment ago," remarked Red Butler.

The change in weather didn't go unnoticed on the track either. "What's going on?" asked Starlite.

Rainbow looked around her and then to the other rider, who looked as though nothing was wrong. "I don't know, Starlite. Maybe it's time for a storm?"

"I think that's too quick for a storm. Murky must be up to no good!"

Murky had finally calmed himself on the track, watching the quick weather change. He knew Stormy was finally beginning to do what she should have done when the race started. "Good…she's finally showing that she's worth something."

Lurky scratched his head. "Was it supposed to rain today, Murky?"

"Just watch," instructed Murky.

More and more clouds drew together and Stormy felt right at home. Before she began her part, she let Skydancer take care of his. She urged him on, and suddenly Skydancer was a quarter of a lap ahead of Starlite, still not going his fastest.

"What in the world?..." exclaimed Starlite in amazement.

"Something's wrong," stated Rainbow, one hand suddenly resting on her Color Belt.

Stormy turned and looked at Rainbow, the same grin on her face. She raised a hand to the sky, commanding the lightning to begin striking. She kept the strikes to a wide area. She wanted to work on the shock factor more than anything.

Sprites in the stands covered their heads, many fearful of the storm that had started. Some sprites quickly left the stands, ready to head back to their homes. Many still stuck around, watching the race with anticipation.

Rainbow pressed the star on her Color Belt. Suddenly, a bright rainbow lit up the darkness, and the ribbon of light wove its way toward Stormy and Skydancer. "I'll take care of this."

Stormy looked behind her, and began directing the lightning to strike at the rainbow. Bolts began slicing holes in the rainbow. "That won't stop me!" she called, racing onward.

Rainbow tapped her foot against Starlite, but he didn't need any encouragement. He sped up, eager to catch up to the other horse. He wouldn't let them win any longer.

Giggling, Stormy continued with her storm. The storm grew more powerful with each passing moment. The power was at her finger tips to be used as she desired. She crossed the starting line, beginning her last lap. This would determine the outcome of the race, and she would not be outdone, or beaten by a silly rainbow. "Let's finish this, Skydancer!"

Starlite crossed the starting line as well, beginning his fourth lap. He pushed himself as hard as he could, determined not to be outdone. He would not lose to a new horse. He was the most magnificent horse in the universe.

Thunder rumbled and a new round of lightning bolts began. However, this time it was different. Instead of shooting wide arcs, Stormy took aim, slowly getting closer and closer to Rainbow and Starlite. Finally, she called forth the one lightning bolt she'd planned for from the beginning. This time, it went straight for Starlite and Rainbow.

Rainbow pushed the star on her belt, with no reaction. It was all Starlite could do to jerk out of the path of the lightning bolt. It struck the dirt mere inches from his feet. Rainbow was thrown from his back and landed on the hard ground. She didn't move.

"Rainbow!" shouted Starlite.

Instantly, the Color Kids and sprites were on their feet. Twink abandoned his box and ran to his fallen friend. The Color Kids couldn't get onto the track as easily. Sprites in the stands prevented that.

Murky rushed from his spot, taking his cue. He ran to Rainbow as Stormy finished out the race, crossing the finish line as the winner. She too drove Skydancer to where Rainbow had fallen. Murky was already unbuckling the belt from her waist. "The Color Belt is mine!" he cackled. "All mine! Now Rainbow Land will be under my rule!"

"Stop, Murky Dismal!" called Red Butler, leading the group of Color Kids.

"Oh? I suppose you're going to do something about it?" Murky stood, Color Belt in hand. "We had an agreement. If Stormy won, I got the Color Belt. She won. The Color Belt is mine. But just in case…Lurky!"

His assistant held up the gloom gun. "How does it work, Murky?" Lurky looked down the barrel of the gun. Murky snatched it from him before Lurky shot himself. He pulled the trigger, covering the area in front of him with gloom cloud.

"Let's go!" yelled Murky. "Lurky, to the grunge buggy! Stormy, back the the Pits. Wait for me in my laboratory after you put Skydancer away." He watched as Stormy took off.

Murky took one last look at the stumbling Color Kids and the unconscious Rainbow before running to the grunge buggy. As Lurky sped away, Murky looked at the treasure in his hand. He finally had the Color Belt. Now, it was time to proceed with the rest of his plan.


	21. Sense of Loss

**I realized that it's been a year since I first posted this fic, and it's finally drawing near a close. I just finished chapter 24 today and things are winding down. I know what I want to do, but I still cannot get a set amount of chapters remaining. I still say under 30 and it should at least be that. I do want to finish this story up soon because I'm working on focusing on Simoun at this point, but I am determined to finish up this story. It certainly is not due to a lack of inspiration because it doesn't take me long to write a chapter once I sit down and focus on it. All I can say is that you are going to kill me for Chapter 24, that's all I can say. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 20 Sense of Loss**

Rainbow walked through the open field. She had the strangest feeling that she'd been here before, but none of the surroundings looked familiar. Red and blue flowers fluttered in the breeze, and in the distance there was a clump of trees that looked like the beginning of a forest. The sky was bright blue and sunny, nary a cloud in the sky. She wasn't sure why she had come here. Her feet carried her forward, and she kept walking, eyes darting back and forth on the scenery in front of her.

The wind began to pick up, bringing with it cooler air. Rainbow crossed her arms across her chest, trying to keep her body warm. The wind seemed to be blowing in every direction, and her legs became chilled. The field no longer seemed inviting, and Rainbow just wanted to be out of the wind and warm. She looked down at her shoes and then she noticed that her Color Belt was gone. Her hands immediately went to her waist, feeling only the fabric of her dress.

Panic now covered her face, and instantly she began to run. She ran quickly toward the trees, wondering if she would find her Color Belt within the forest. How could she have lost the one thing that made her protector of Rainbow Land? Without the Color Belt, she couldn't keep Murky from doing what he wanted, especially if he were the one who had the Color Belt. Images of Rainbow Land plunged into darkness as it had been when she'd first arrived flooded her mind, and she ran faster. In her panic, she forgot how she had to fight and work together with Twink and the Color Kids to earn the Color Belt and defeat the darkness of the land.

Rainbow stopped suddenly when the sky darkened and thunder rumbled loudly. The sudden storm would not help speed things up. The next roll of thunder rolled, and Rainbow could have sworn that she heard a girl laughing. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind and focus. She had to get back her Color Belt. "Who's there? I know you have my belt!" she shouted, in case someone was out there. There was no reply to her call and she started to think she was only imagining things.

Then, she saw it. Up in the distance, a shadowed figure, rested against a tree. Rainbow ran toward the figure, certain she would find her answers. She stopped sort of the tree in shock. She knew that figure. Around the girl's waist was the Color Belt. "You!" was all Rainbow could say.

The figure stepped away from the tree and closer to Rainbow. She grinned from ear to ear. "Stormy, you mean."

"I want my Color Belt back," stated Rainbow calmly.

Stormy looked down at the belt around her waist. "You mean this Color Belt? This is my Color Belt."

"That's not yours. I need it to keep Rainbow Land safe."

"You're not doing so well if I have the Color Belt," remarked Stormy.

"The Color Belt is for the protector of Rainbow Land," explained Rainbow. "I need it to keep everyone safe."

Stormy only smiled. "Who was the protector before you?"

Rainbow blinked. She had no reply for that. She'd never really thought about who had protected the Color Kids and sprites before the land had been plunged into darkness. They had never mentioned the protector before her. She had never asked. Rainbow looked down at her shoes.

"Maybe you should think about the ones who protected Rainbow Land before you," called Stormy. "Now, I'm going to go take over Rainbow Land."

Rainbow reached out, but she said nothing. Stormy's words echoed over and over in her head. She fell to her knees, lost in thought.

It was dark when Rainbow awoke. She raised her head and blinked, looking at her surroundings. She was safe in her room, tucked under her blankets in bed. The moonlight shone softly through her window. No one was around, save for Twink. He'd fallen asleep in a chair nearby. She rested her head on the pillow again, remembering bits and pieces of her dream. That girl was there and she had the Color Belt.

Instantly, Rainbow shot up in bed, hands going to her waist. All they felt was the fabric of her dress. That hadn't been a dream. Then, the memories from earlier in the day rushed back to her. She'd lost the race. She'd lost her Color Belt, and her way of protecting Rainbow Land. She'd…failed.

"Rainbow?" called Twink sleepily.

"Twink?"

"What're you doing up?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes. "Do you feel any better?" When he got no answer, he slipped off the chair and made his way to the bed. "Rainbow?"

Tears pooled in Rainbow's eyes, and they began to spill over. "I lost the Color Belt, Twink. How can I protect Rainbow Land without my Color Belt?" She wiped at her eyes, but began to sob at the thought.

Twink patted her back, trying to think of what he could say to comfort his friend. As he thought, the day that Rainbow first came to Rainbow Land came to mind and he suddenly knew what he could say. "But Rainbow, when you first came here, you didn't have a Color Belt. You didn't have anything to help you, remember?"

"But it's different this time."

Twink shook his head. "No, it's not. You got rid of the Evil One and freed all the Color Kids from their prisons. You found Starlite and you helped me too. You can do it again. You can go get your Color Belt back from Murky. He doesn't stand a chance," finished Twink with an excited flourish.

"He's got that girl to help him now."

"But she's like the Evil One," protested Twink. "She just uses storms instead of darkness to fight."

Rainbow sniffled. "You think I can get the Color Belt back?" she asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Of course! You can do anything!" agreed Twink.

Laying her head back on her pillow, Rainbow tucked her hands behind her head, thinking about what Twink had said to her. She'd need to figure out a way to get the Color Belt back from Murky before he decided to act out one of his plans. It wasn't just him anymore, but Stormy was on his side too. A yawn crossed her lips. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and rolled over. She decided it was something to think and plan in the morning. Rainbow drifted off to sleep; no more dreams came to her that night.

When Rainbow next awoke, the sun was shining brightly through her window. Eight pairs of eyes looked down at her, concern written on their faces.

"Morning, Rainbow," called Red Butler softly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Canary Yellow.

Rainbow sat up in her bed. "I feel better than I did. I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

"Rainbow, what's going to happen to us?" asked Lala Orange, voicing the one concern that was on everyone's mind. No one wanted to speak up. To do so would only be a stinging reminder of how Rainbow had indeed lost her Color Belt. Light and color had not beaten the darkness.

"Nothing's going to happen to you," answered Rainbow with confidence, more than she felt inside.

"But you don't have your Color Belt anymore," protested Patty O'Green.

"You have to admit, your chances of succeeding in an encounter with Murky have drastically been slimmed down, scientifically speaking," added Shy Violet.

"It doesn't matter. I didn't have my Color Belt when I first came here and I still won over the darkness. I'll do it again."

Buddy Blue stepped forward. "I trust you, Rainbow. I'll help."

Slowly, each Color Kid stepped forth and pledged their trust and help to Rainbow. Rainbow smiled, glad to see her friends trusted her no matter one. Suddenly, she felt exhausted and lay back on the pillows.

"Rainbow?!" cried Canary Yellow, concerned.

Shy Violet spoke up. "She needs to rest. We should leave her be. I'll gather some victuals for when she wakes up. Everyone else should rest too. It's going to be a hard fight against Murky."

Shouts and cheers of celebration radiated from the Pits. Murky and Lurky were in the laboratory celebrating their victory. Murky had had Lurky prepare a large meal in celebration and now the two were relaxing. Murky laughed loudly from his spot at the table. "I can't believe we finally have the Color Belt! After all this time, my plan worked! Rainbow Land is going to fall and bow before me!"

"And me too!" added Lurky.

Murky scowled half-heartedly. "Not quite, but close enough." He sipped from a goblet he held in his hands. "I'll finally see them all as my slaves. And oh the fun I can have with Rainbow Brite!"

"What are you gonna do with the belt, Murky?"

"Why, wear it of course!" He pointed to his left where large black tub ooze grey smoke. "I'm just fixing it a bit first."

"Oooh are you making it pretty?"

"No you dolt. I'm matching it to my outfit. Shades of black and grey. I've infused the Color Belt with gloom… it'll run on my own power now."

"Whatcha mean?"

"I'll mix gloom and star sprinkles and then I'll destroy everything Rainbow has worked to protect!" He ended this statement with a cackle.

Elsewhere, Stormy sat cross legged on her bed. She was angered that she had to stay in her room while Murky was downstairs, celebrating his victory. He'd quickly locked her in her room and told her to stay there until further notice. She scowled at the memory and slid from her bed, moving to the table where a tray of food had been thrown. A random assortment of dark meat and limp vegetables stared up at her, along with a glass of juice. She took a few nibbles off the plate before anger overwhelmed her and she tossed the whole thing at the door, satisfied to here the sound of a glass plate shatter into tiny pieces. Some of the food stuck to the door and slid slowly downward, leaving a slimy trail behind. Only the juice was left on the table and she sipped it to wet her throat before tossing it as well. She didn't care what the consequences would be for her actions.

She thought back to earlier that day and to the horse race. It had been exhilarating to lead Rainbow on, to let her think she actually had a chance. Then, to take action and bring Rainbow down to the ground. She'd meant for the lightning bolt to strike Rainbow, but Starlite had dodged at the very last moment. She supposed that throwing Rainbow from her horse and knocking her out instead worked just as well.

She recalled Rainbow laying on the ground, unmoving. Something inside her panged. Wondering what it meant, she quickly pushed it aside. She didn't care. Rainbow needed brought down a peg. As she'd turned Skydancer around after finishing the race, she'd watched Murky take Rainbow's Color Belt. Everything had gone according to plan in the end. So why didn't she feel as triumphant, as Murky did? She should be downstairs celebrating and she wanted to be. She'd been the reason he'd finally bested Rainbow, and her reward was being locked away in her room.

Stormy threw herself back on her back, staring at the ceiling. In the distance, she knew Rainbow was either awake or still out. She would be surrounded by the Color Kids. They always seemed to be around. She wondered if Rainbow ever got annoyed by that. She knew she was tired of always watching Murky. Why didn't Rainbow get rid of them? Did she ever lock them away for periods of time? Rolling onto her side, Stormy continued to wonder. She realized that all she knew about Rainbow and Rainbow Land came from what Murky had told her. She'd never had the chance to poke around herself.

Quickly, she sat up in bed as she realized where her thoughts were heading. It didn't matter what she'd had time or not had time to do. Rainbow couldn't fight back and Murky was making his next set of plans. She was to help him yet again, but he hadn't told her how she was to specifically do that. She wondered if she'd finally be free to do her own thing, or if Murky would still keep her locked away.

A particularly loud moment of laughter trickled up to her ear and she sighed. She didn't want to stay in her room any longer. She moved toward the door and cautiously tried the handle. It jiggled, but wouldn't open. She had hoped Lurky wouldn't have locked the door in his happiness to return downstairs. Stormy began pushing on the door with her shoulder, trying to get it to budge. She heaved and pushed, but it nothing happened. Returning to her bed, she sighed, suddenly very tired.

Her head hit the pillow and she faced the wall, trying to ignore the raucous she heard. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, but all she could picture was Rainbow's smiling face and the Color Kids around her. Irritated, she pushed the image from her mind, instead opting for one of her and Skydancer running freely throughout the land. Thunder and lightning followed in their wake and she smiled. As soon as she did, the image was pushed aside for the one of Rainbow. Again, Stormy banished the image and thought of something that made her happier. Rainbow's smiling face wouldn't leave her alone.

"Stop it!" she yelled angrily. Then she felt foolish. Who was she yelling at? She rolled over and grabbed her pillow, pulling it over her head. She'd fall asleep and then she wouldn't have to see Rainbow's face. She kept this thought in mind as she slowly drifted off.


	22. Dreams and Plans

**I meant to upload this awhile ago, but never got around to it. As you can see, I've been busy concocting for another fandom. I still plan to finish this story, and I have a pretty good sized backlog. I think I may wait until school is out before I sit down to finish out the final chapters for this. I've just been inspired by Simoun, and wanting to really expand that fic base since it's so small. As for this particular chapter, as I read over it again, I saw that it was sort of a bridge piece that would connect what had already happened to what will happen. This is only the tip of the iceberg, after all.**

**Chapter 21 Dreams and Plans**

Stormy walked slowly down the main path. She saw the object at the end of the path, easily recognizable. The Color Castle was where the path into Rainbow Land ended, the main location for the operations of Rainbow Land. Stormy did not know why she was walking toward the Color Castle, nor could she stop herself. Her feet would not listen to her body's demand to stop. Onward she went, unable to control her body. She marched past the sprite homes and the sprites who busily toiled outside.

The sprites themselves were busy with various tasks, though some looked Stormy's way. However, they appeared to look right through her. No one acknowledged her, no one panicked, no one ran from her to raise the alarm.

"Hey!" yelled Stormy. No one even seemed to hear her. Confused, she looked forward, noting that she was right at the bridge to the Color Castle. Her feet did not stop, but crossed the bridge and entered the Color Castle, whose door had been left open. No one saw her enter, or tried to stop her. A glance behind her showed the sprites still busily working and nary a glance her way. The door shut loudly behind her, making her jump.

As she studied the downstairs, she noticed that no one was around. She didn't see Rainbow or any of the Color Kids. No one tried to stop her. She wondered why. Shouldn't the Color Kids be protecting the Color Castle? Didn't they try to keep Murky from getting in?

Suddenly, it was dark inside, and Stormy glanced toward the nearest window, noting that it was suddenly nighttime as well. The quick time change was out of the ordinary, as if the sun decided it was done for the day and disappeared. Upstairs and down the hallway she went until she came to a room that had a light spilling from underneath the door. She walked toward the door, reaching out to push it open. Her hand went through the door and soon, her body followed. _That was creepy_ she thought.

The scene before her soon distracted her from her body going through the door. Rainbow lay propped up in her bed, surrounded by the Color Kids. She was smiling and laughing, even though Stormy knew she no longer had the Color Belt. The spot at her waist where it usually rested glared out for all to see. That didn't seem to bother Rainbow though. She smiled and chatted happily with the Color Kids.

As Stormy watched, she heard an almost incoherent statement tumble from Patty O'Green's mouth and then heard everyone laugh in unison. The scene was sickeningly cheery. How could they be so happy? Shouldn't they be sad or angry, especially at Rainbow? She'd failed to keep her Color Belt, the one thing that gave her powers. Without them, she was just like the other Color Kids. She had no way to protect Rainbow Land. She couldn't stop Murky and his gloom. She couldn't stop Stormy even. Stormy grinned as she realized that Rainbow couldn't stop her even with the Color Belt.

Yet, Rainbow looked peaceful. She accepted a cookie that Lala Orange handed her and broke it in half, giving half back to Lala. Stormy watched the other Color Kids. Buddy Blue and Red Butler played checkers while Canary Yellow, Lala Orange, and Patty O'Green held a conversation with Rainbow. Indigo sat off to one side writing in a book, and Shy Violet made notes on a notepad. They were happy. They weren't upset and they weren't going after Murky right away. It had to be a trick.

Stormy's feet took her closer to the scene, until she stood right next to Rainbow's bed. She reached out and waved her hand near Rainbow's face, but Rainbow did not notice her. She was completely invisible to everyone. She was surrounded by happiness and something that she had no word for. Even though she could not be seen or take part, she felt as though she were part of the group, like she belonged. She scowled. She wasn't supposed to feel that way. She was supposed to help destroy Rainbow in the end.

Yet, a tiny part of her wanted to feel as though she belonged somewhere, and not out of place. That tiny part was lonely in the Pits, always stuck with Murky or Lurky for company. To be around Rainbow and the Color Kids was refreshing for that tiny part of her. However, Stormy squashed any thoughts and instead focused on her goal, the one Murky had created for her.

As she did so, everything became a blur. Stormy was aware that the scenery around her was changing and moving quickly, but it was as though she stood still. When things stopped and Stormy stopped clutching her stomach to keep from throwing up, she looked around her. She was in Murky's laboratory and saw the cold remains of a fancy celebration feast. She slowly turned her head and found Murky standing on a chair, the black and grey Color Belt around his waist. Lurky stood nearby, clapping. Murky appeared to be giving one of his speeches, and Lurky, as always, was listening with rapt attention.

He pointed in the direction of Rainbow Land. "My new kingdom! My servants! Grey and black and white!" He used hand gestures to illustrate his comments, puffing out his chest.

"Will there be any color, Murky?" asked Lurky.

Murky scowled. "No, birdbrain, there won't be any silly colors! Rainbow Brite cannot stop me from making Rainbow Land my own!"

"What'll we do with Stormy?"

"Pfft! That brat will serve me. She'll be my slave too, but in a different way. With her powers, no one can stop me!"

Anger crossed Stormy's face and she put one foot forward, intent on speaking her mind, but before she could, her surroundings blurred in front of her and all she could do was hold still and close her eyes until it all went away, hoping that the queasy feeling didn't return. When the movement stopped, she opened them, and found herself facing… herself. She saw herself curled up in her bed, sleeping. Her sleeping form did not hear any of the noise from downstairs, even though the sound wasn't completely muted. She reached out tentatively with her right hand, moving closer. Stormy tripped over her own feet, and fell toward the bed. She quickly put both hands in front of her to keep her from falling onto herself, but instead her hands went through her body, the rest of her transparent body following.

She didn't stop falling. She fell, down and down further, everything a blur. She screamed, unable to keep herself from falling. Her hands flew over her face, a futile way of protecting herself from whatever she would land on. Expecting pain and something hard, she braced herself for the landing that was sure to come.

However, the expected landing never came. She opened her eyes slowly, and found herself floating inches from the ground. She lifted her head up, and found her body tilting back until her feet rested on the soft ground. She looked ahead and again, saw herself. This time though she was different. Stormy noticed a difference in the age; the Stormy here looked younger. She immediately noticed the difference in the style of dress. Black boots, emerald green dress, and a pendant around her neck. Stormy's hand moved to her neck, touching the spot that the very same pendant used to rest on her own body. _Why does that pendant seem familiar?_ She had no memory to answer that thought, but still wondered.

Stormy watched the scene before her with interest. The other Stormy sat in the grass, looking up at the clouds. A frown crossed her face and she looked down at her own fingers. She held her palm outward. Stormy watched herself, knowing that she was trying to communicate with the clouds. Nothing happened, and after a few seconds the younger Stormy gave up. "Never works," younger Stormy muttered.

Another girl came up behind the younger Stormy. Stormy did not remember this girl from her past, but her younger self seemed to. Then again, Stormy realized that she couldn't remember much of her past.

"You came!" exclaimed young Stormy.

"Of course," answered the blond girl in the blue dress. "I told you I would."

Stormy recognized the girl. That was Rainbow, but this Rainbow did not have a Color Belt, and did not seem concerned about this fact.

"Let's play, okay?"

Rainbow reached out a hand, which Stormy gladly took. She giggled. "Come on!" Rainbow tugged at Stormy's hand, and both girls started to run off into the distance, Rainbow's laughter trailing in the wind.

Stormy ran after them, wanting to see where they went to. No matter how fast she ran, they seemed to disappear in the distance. She continued to speed up, but after awhile, she realized that the two girls had disappeared. She would never be able to catch them. Stormy slowed to catch her breath, and her foot caught on a rock. She fell forward, expecting to smack her chin on the hard ground, but instead found herself tumbling into a hole. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to be part of yet another fall.

Stormy sat up quickly in her bed, clutching her chest. Images from her dream quickly disappeared and though she tried to recall them, she could not remember everything. She saw bits and pieces that didn't make sense as a whole. "What was that all about?" she wondered. She laid back down, trying to pull back the fading pieces of dream.

Murky woke up, slowly opening his eyes. He tried to sit up, but found that the effort make him dizzy. He groaned and held his head, trying to recall the previous night, but couldn't. Instead of trying to sit up again, he stayed laying in his spot, looking up at the stone ceiling of his laboratory. He felt the extra weight around his waist, and remembered why the weight was there. The thought made him grin. His finger touched the single star. All he needed to do to make it work was apply his own star sprinkles. They would give the Color Belt the additional power it required to run.

He tried sitting up again and found it easier this time. He held his head, letting the dizziness quickly pass. Glancing around the laboratory, he noticed Lurky was conked out, an open book covering his face. Rubbing his hands together, Murky slid from the table he had been sleeping on. He saw the remnants from the feast the previous night, but he knew he could get Lurky to clean it up later.

Humming, he moved through his laboratory, searching for the box he'd set aside for this very moment. He moved to one of his bookshelves and began digging behind large tomes. Finally, he found the box he'd searched for, a simple black box with a thick lock around it to keep unsuspecting snoopers from opening it. It was mostly unnecessary, but he wanted to keep Lurky away from it.

He pulled a key from inside of a book on a higher shelf and unlocked the box. The lid sprang open, and grey star sprinkles awaited his eager eyes. "Yes, perfect… now to test them out." He pressed them to his Color Belt and watched them be absorbed inside. Then, he pressed his finger to the star and a ribbon of grey and black shot forth. Murky willed the rainbow to move according to his thoughts and it did so, wrapping itself around Lurky. The rainbow picked him up and then promptly dumped him face down on the stone floor.

Lurky was instantly awake and held his nose in his hand. "Ouch! What happened, Murky?"

"The Color Belt works! Lurky, do you know what this means?"

"Uhhh…" He scrunched up his face. "No."

"It means that we can test it out! It's time to see if Rainbow and her friends can really fight back without the belt to help them."

"But Murky, they only use Rainbow Brite's belt," protested Lurky.

"We're going to test it out," stated Murky firmly. In his mind, he knew that the Color Kids only relied on Rainbow's Color Belt, but he wanted to see her face and their faces when they realized how much they truly relied on her. It would be the final test before his major plan went into action. "Lurky, fetch me the brat!"

"Okay, Murky!"

Lurky skipped happily up the stairs, humming to himself. He took the key off the hook outside of Stormy's door and unlocked it, flinging the door open. "Stormy! Wake up Stormy!" He moved closer, uncertain if Stormy had heard him or not.

Stormy was laying on her bed, spread eagle. She lazily rolled her head to look at Lurky. "I'm awake," she commented. She hadn't been able to fall asleep again after waking from the dream she'd had. She had instead tried to recall all the bits and pieces and piece the puzzle together, but it was futile. She couldn't remember everything, and what she briefly remembered did not make any sense. Lurky was a distraction from her own thoughts and lack of sleep.

"Murky wants ya downstairs," he called, a large grin on his face.

"Fine."

Lurky turned and returned to the laboratory. Stormy laid on the bed for a few moments more before getting up. She walked slowly down the stairs. "What?" she asked, none too kindly.

Murky ignored her tone of voice, more focused on his Color Belt and his plan of action. "We're going to Rainbow Land. You're coming too. I want you to see what happens to that Rainbow brat and her friends without the precious Color Belt. Lurky! Fetch the Grunge Buggy!"

"Right away!" Lurky saluted.

Murky grabbed a small sack and filled it with his grey star sprinkles. He tucked the sack inside of his vest before turning to Stormy. "You won't be involved in this plan. You're just going to watch what happens. Got it?"

Stormy nodded, not speaking a word. She crossed her arms and stared back at him.

Within moments, Lurky had returned to the laboratory. "We're all set, Murky!"

"Good!" Murky rubbed his hands together. "Let's get started."

The three of them headed outside, where the Grunge Buggy rumbled and coughed. Lurky climbed into the driver's side, while Stormy climbed into the sidecar, and Murky clung to the back frame.

"Get there quickly, lunkhead… I want to surprise Rainbow and her friends. They won't know what hit them!"

Lurky sped off down the road that led to Rainbow Land as Murky's cackling echoed off the walls of the Pits. Stormy merely rode in silence.


	23. Power Struggle

**Inspiration struck me tonight. I've finished Chapter 26 and 27. Chapter 28 is started. I still don't know if this story will end up finished, but I'll keep working on it when I can. I guess part of me doesn't want to see it go unfinished.**

**Chapter 22 Power Struggle**

Sprites scattered as the Grunge Buggy sped down the main road toward the Color Castle, dropping whatever they had been working on. Many ran into their homes, locking them up tight. Murky wasn't worried about the sprites running to Rainbow this time around. There was nothing the brat could do to stop him. He'd take care of her for good soon enough. His cackle drifted on the wind, a promise of what was yet to come.

Lurky spun the Grunge Buggy to a stop in front of the bridge to the Color Castle. "Here ya are, Murky," he commented.

Rainbow and the Color Kids waited on the island just on the other side. None looked very happy to see Murky, but no one carried a weapon to defend themselves with. That wasn't the way they worked. Rainbow stood in front of everyone, still acting as the protector she wasn't anymore. Her waist looked surprisingly bare without her Color Belt. She glared at Murky defiantly, challenging him to try and get her.

Murky hopped down from his spot on the Grunge Buggy and strode forward, standing at the edge of the bridge. He pointed to Rainbow. "Still think you can do something to protect your precious _friends?_ He laughed at his own statement before becoming serious. "I don't think so, Rainbow Brite. Your time as protector is over!" Murky grabbed a handful of grey star sprinkles from inside his vest and pressed them to the Color Belt. "With these grey star sprinkles, you'll find yourself more than just a little gloomy!" The Color Belt quickly absorbed the star sprinkles, glowing faintly in the process.

Murky's finger pressed against the star, and a grayscale rainbow shot forward, winding widely around Rainbow and the Color Kids, teasing and taunting them. He dispelled the rainbow at will and then smirked. "Do you like my improved rainbow? I added my own little touch. I think it works surprisingly well."

Rainbow bravely took a step forward, no sign of fear on her face. "You can't win, Murky. I won't let you take over Rainbow Land."

"Go away, Murky," added Patty O'Green bravely.

"Yeah, you leave us alone!" said Canary Yellow.

Murky began to cross the bridge, getting halfway before Rainbow began to walk forward to meet him. She met him in the middle and glared at him, hands balled into fists. They faced off, each saying nothing for what seemed like minutes, but was really only seconds. Murky's finger slowly reached for the star on the Color Belt and pressed it. Like the perfect prey, she had fallen for his trap.

Rainbow's eyes widened as she realized the distance between herself and the rainbow coming from the belt. She had no time to react or prepare herself for impact. Her arms flew up to cover and protect her face, but it was too late.

Stormy watched from her position in the sidecar as the grayscale rainbow shot forward and hit Rainbow square in the chest. It pushed her back and upward. The look of surprise on Rainbow's face amused Murky as he forced the rainbow to push Rainbow over the bridge and into the water. His laughter echoed all around her. Stormy couldn't help but instinctively wince as the splash echoed around them. Something stirred deep inside her as she waited for Rainbow to surface.

Long seconds passed. An eerie silence washed over the group. Finally, the top of a blonde head broke the water. Rainbow sputtered as she broke the surface, spitting out a mouthful of water. Her hair was plastered to the sides of her head, her usually high ponytail hanging limply from the back of her head. Her arms flailed for a few seconds before she gathered her bearings. She soon began floating steadily before swimming back to the Color Kids. She climbed out of the lake with Red Butler and Buddy Blue's help. Rainbow turned and looked at Murky, not saying a word. Her body shook, cooler from the dip in the cold water. She didn't let that bother her, instead diverting all of her focus onto Murky.

Murky, on the other hand, was doubled over with laughter. He smacked his knees, which encouraged Lurky to laugh. Stormy did not laugh, but she did smirk, arms crossed across her chest. "Not so mighty now, Rainbow Brite!" taunted Murky. He patted the Color Belt, hooking his left thumb behind the fabric.

"You won't keep the Color Belt long, Murky Dismal," she remarked.

"That's what you think. Your precious Belt is mine now. You'll never get it back!"

"Yeah!" added Lurky, who had hopped out of the Grunge Buggy. Stormy had joined him.

"Consider this a preview of what's to come. I'll be back tomorrow… and I'll make Rainbow Land my own!" Murky turned and spoke to Lurky. "Let's go. We're finished here."

Lurky nodded. "Sure, boss." He hopped back into the Grunge Buggy and started the ignition.

Red Butler couldn't stand it anymore. He wouldn't allow Murky to get away with treating Rainbow as he just had. His hands balled into tight fists, and he was unable to calm his anger. He didn't want to calm himself. Quickly, he put one foot forward and pushed off, leaping toward Murky. His feet pounded against the dirt, as he ran as fast as he could. His hands pushed Murky's back, sending the villain off balance and flat onto his face. "Rainbow Land isn't yours to take!" he stated. "The Color Belt doesn't belong to Rainbow Brite, not you!" He reached to Murky's waist, intent on removing the Color Belt. He smirked as his hands touched the back of the Color Belt.

The next thing Red Butler knew, he was flying backwards through the air. He couldn't remember what had happened prior to that. He was almost certain he'd taken the belt from Murky. Murky wasn't that strong. When he looked at his hands, however, he saw they were empty. Red Butler landed in the bushes in front of the Color Castle, sprawled out. He tried to pull himself away, but found that his cape had snagged on a branch and wouldn't pull loose. Frustrated, he began trying to release himself from the bush.

The Color Kids were in awe at what had happened. Red Butler had easily been defeated by Murky with the push of a button. Red Butler may not know what happened to him, but the other Color Kids had seen it. Murky had merely activated the belt with push of the star and the graysale rainbow obeyed his inner will. Red Butler had been sent flying in return. Murky had then pulled himself to his feet, dusted himself off, and hopped on the back of the Grunge Buggy. "Move it, Lurky!" he had commanded as Lurky spun the wheel, sending the vehicle careening on two wheels as it turned around. Stormy held tight to the trashcan she rode in. The vehicle kicked up dust and Stormy closed her eyes and covered her mouth.

As they sped back toward the Pits, Stormy looked behind her. She could see the Color Kids gathered around Rainbow in the distance. The Kids soon become a blur of colors before they disappeared from her sight completely. She turned her head, facing toward the Pits. The stormy skies ahead welcomed her, soothed her. Without realizing it, she smiled. Stormy skies never failed to calm her.

In no time, the trio had arrived back at the lair, and Murky had ushered them both inside. He was happy, gleeful, and very eager for the next day. He walked back and forth in his laboratory, too antsy to sit down. He went from fingering the books on the shelves to fiddling with beakers on the table. As he walked, he kept muttering to himself.

"Why don't you just destroy Rainbow today?" asked Stormy.

"Because, I…I…oh never mind! You wouldn't understand my plans!" replied Murky, flustered. He had finally settled on grabbing a piece of paper and pen and was now scribbling furiously.

"Will we sleep in the Castle tomorrow, Murky?" asked Lurky.

"Of course! It will be mine by then!"

"Will I get my own horsey?" continued Lurky.

"Yes, yes. You can have Rainbow's for all I care," replied Murky.

Stormy wanted to ask _What about me?_, but held back. It didn't seem necessary.

For the rest of the day, Stormy stayed away from Murky's lair. It wasn't that hard to do. Murky had banished her and Lurky from his laboratory while he worked on his master plan. A growling stomach had led her to seek out food, which Lurky had gladly given. He hadn't given her the usual glass of juice, stating that Murky usually took care of that. Lurky had tried to get Murky to do so this time, but was dismissed angrily from the vicinity.

After a quick meal, Stormy had taken Skydancer and the two disappeared into the Pits. At first, the two raced through the landscape, down narrow pathways and up steep slopes. The freedom couldn't compare. Skydancer enjoyed a good run and gave his all. For that moment in time, rider and horse were one, the freedom a sweet taste in their mouths. Each forgot about the master they obeyed.

Stormy's happiness stirred her powers and she gleefully created a large storm with ease. Large grey clouds appeared over head and the thunder boomed. Lightning flashes appeared rapidly, some even striking and destroying the large boulders. Nothing could compare. The connection to the storm intensified, and Stormy threw her all into its creation. She tested herself, pushed herself. Wind whipped around her, and her hair began to come loose from the ponytail that held it high on her head.

This wind was a new development in her storm powers; she'd never before incorporated the wind into her storms. However, the wind fueled her storm, whipping through the canyon. Echoes from the stones and boulders were heard, and Stormy desired more. She whipped the wind harder, higher. Things became so loud she couldn't hear herself think. The wind was roaring in her ears.

Soon, a long, slender funnel slowly swooped down from the clouds. It was in this moment that Stormy hesitated. She'd never seen such a weather phenomenon before. She watched, fascinated, as the funnel cloud began moving toward her and Skydancer. She had never seen the likes of it before.

Wind blew and picked up in speed. It was almost too late when Stormy realized she could not stop this storm; it would run its course. The swirling vortex whirled, stirring up dust and chunks of rock. One such piece whipped past Stormy, slicing the back of her right hand as it passed. The blood trickled from the shallow cut. Stormy felt no pain. The adrenaline had kicked in.

Quickly, she switched into survival mode. She leapt onto Skydancer's back, digging her heels into his sides. "Let's go, Skydancer!" she shouted, but the roar of the wind was much too loud to hear anything.

Skydancer sped along the paths, but the tornado kept gaining speed. Stormy looked behind her, afraid of what she saw; the tornado was right on their heels. "Come on, Skydancer!" she urged, fear creeping into her voice.

Sensing the fear of his rider, Skydancer did his best before swerving to the left and running at top speeds. Since the funnel was slender, it did not encompass much area; it was easier for Stormy to escape. Skydancer continued to run, and Stormy didn't mind. They needed to be away from the immediate area.

Time passed; Stormy wasn't sure of how long Skydancer ran before he stopped. When she turned to look behind her, the tornado was gone. Her eyes searched the distance, but the funnel cloud had disappeared. Now that the immediate danger was over, she could breathe a bit easier. Her heart was pounding in her chest and there was suddenly pain in her right hand. She glanced down, noting the dried blood of a recent wound. She remembered the stone that cut her hand. It didn't seem possible that something so small could cut her skin, but it hand. The wind was a very powerful source it seemed.

She and Skydancer rode back to their original position, and noticed the path of destruction. They had been away from the laboratory at the time, and Stormy was glad that the tornado had not gone in that direction; she wouldn't want to deal with Murky should anything be destroyed.

Suddenly weary, she decided to return Skydancer to his stable. She needed to rest, and she was sure that Skydancer was as spooked about the incident as she was. "Let's go back," she whispered to her horse.

Murky was waiting for her as she entered the lair. "I saw what you created," he commented. "You will be the perfect weapon tomorrow, even better than what I had originally planned for you…wait until Rainbow sees what I will do to her!" he cackled.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Stormy.

"I want you to get rid of the Color Brats and the sprites for me. I'll take care of Rainbow. You can use your tornado to get rid of them."

Now, Murky had always told Stormy that she would defeat Rainbow. She'd spent years with him, training for that particular goal. Always working to get rid of Rainbow. Murky would take over after she did, but Rainbow was supposed to be hers. She said not a word, but simply nodded.

"Good. Now rest up. Tomorrow shall be a long day."

Stormy climbed the stairs slowly. Her feet dragged and her head was filled with thoughts. Murky was making her take care of the others while he went after Rainbow. What would happen to her after he took over Rainbow Land? She pushed open her door, and shut it behind her. Would she be used only because of her storm power's ability to destroy things? Would she be locked away any other time?

That wasn't going to happen. She wouldn't let it.

Stormy moved to the bed and fell back onto it. She wasn't going to let Murky take her role. She was going to be the one to destroy Rainbow Brite once and for all. She wasn't going to let Murky take the glory of doing that. She'd trained so hard just for this, and now Murky wanted to take it from her.

Of course, she would follow his plans. He wanted her to use the tornado, as he'd called it. She knew it would be easy to replicate the one from earlier. She'd just make sure to be away from its path this time around. Rainbow would fall by her hand and Murky would still have Rainbow Land for the taking. The goal was accomplished in the end, and that's what mattered.

Stormy's eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep. She'd need to rest if she wanted to beat Murky to Rainbow Land. She'd take care of things before sunrise. Murky would be none the wiser.


	24. Ferocious Beginning

**Chapter 23 Ferocious Beginning**

Stormy awoke, groggy and still exhausted. She couldn't remember why it was important that she be awake. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. As she lowered her right hand, she saw the scratch. The events from the day before came rushing back to her. She remembered how she had been unable to control the wind or the storm created from it. She remembered Murky's words to her, and her determination to alter his plans. She leapt from her bed, suddenly full of energy.

Quiet as a mouse, she listened at her door for any signs of movement. She would have to take the utmost caution if she wanted to be successful in leaving the Pits undetected. Hearing no sounds, she slowly opened the large wooden door and slipped into the hallway. She crept along slowly, pressed against the stone walls. At any moment, she was afraid she'd come face to face with Murky. Worse yet, she was afraid she'd cross paths with Lurky, who could (and very well would) give her away with his clumsiness and loud mannerisms.

By the time Stormy reached Skydancer, she was sure Murky must be awake. It seemed like forever ago that she had snuck away from her room. Skydancer snorted softly as she entered. Stormy spoke softly to calm him. "Easy, Skydancer, easy. Let's go to Rainbow Land and create a storm they won't forget!" Skydancer bobbed his head up and down, seemingly in agreement. After all, he loved a good storm as much as Stormy did.

Stormy eased Skydancer out ot the Pits. She was careful to make sure he stepped slowly and lightly. She would hate to be discovered now; she'd come too far for it all to end. Once horse and rider were outside, Stormy raised a palm to the sky. Using the sky for transport would be much easier than traveling by road. Not only would it keep Murky from spotting them dashing away, but it would also conceal her arrival in Rainbow Land. She gathered clouds together, forming a nice sized storm cloud. She could see it blacken, knowing the cloud was drawing in the moisture surrounding the area. With one final look around her, Stormy and Skydancer ascended into the cloud, disappearing in the dark, billowing folds.

Once in the cloud, Stormy sighed with relief. She would be safe for now. By the time Murky realized Stormy was missing, she and Skydancer would be in the midst of finishing off Rainbow. Stormy was quite certain that not even Murky could stop one of her storms. Skydancer trotted around the cloud while Stormy began manipulating the cloud's path, redirecting it to head for Rainbow Land. After setting the course, she began to pull nearby clouds to her, building up an unavoidable and unexpected storm.

Walking to the edge of the cloud, Stormy observed the scenery as they passed into Rainbow Land. All was quiet; not a soul appeared to be stirring. In the distance, the first rays of sunrise were beginning to touch the sky, signaling the dawn of a new day. "Are you ready, Skydancer?" whispered Stormy, excitement building. Finally, she would get to do what had been expected of her since first coming to the Pits. Skydancer snorted an agreement, pawing the ground with his right hoof.

The cloud settled near the Color Castle. Stormy wanted to be able to see the reactions and the destruction herself. She observed the storm clouds that had tagged along. By now, they had grown tremendously in size, some much larger than the cloud she was in. Simultaneously, she started the storm with a soft rain while drawing more clouds to the area. Thunder rumbled softly as the rain pattered onto the ground below. It was a normal rainstorm with no sign of what was to come.

The rumble of thunder woke Rainbow from slumber. She rubbed her eyes, sleep slowly clearing away. Rising from her bed and tossing the covers aside, she moved to the window. Looking out, she saw nothing but grey skies and rain. She frowned at the though of the day being ruined by rain; nothing was going right. However, she wouldn't let that deter her. She and Shy Violet were to discuss plans for getting the Color Belt back. Rainbow would not give in without giving it her all. She turned toward the pole when she heard Twink sliding down.

"It's wet out there! I thought it wasn't supposed to rain?" he stated as he squeaked down the pole. He shook his body, trying to get rid of the excess water.

Rainbow giggled. "It's just rain, Twink. The rain will help the plants and trees grow."

"Well, it doesn't have to rain before I wake up," he replied, crossing his arms.

"Oh, Twink, you're so silly. Why don't we go see about breakfast?"

Twink nodded. "Right! I'm starving!"

Gradually, Stormy increased the intensity of the storm, adding in the lightning. Flashes struck in rapid succession as the rain pounded harder. It was no longer gently and lulling. The sky had darkened, blocking out the sunrise completely. The landscape resembled that of the Pits. It was not yet time to unless the wind, but it was getting closer. She first wanted to build up the storm, let it come to a climax and then release her prize. She couldn't wait too long, but she still had time. She hoped there was still time. Skydancer ran about the cloud as though possessed, kicking and stomping to increase the thunder and lightning. He was becoming absorbed with the storm, one with the storm, just as his master was.

Yet another loud crash of thunder made Twink jump as he ate his pancakes. "This is a really bad storm, Rainbow."

Rainbow nodded. "I do hope all the sprites stay inside today. The storm seems to keep getting worse."

"Rainbow, what about the mining for today?" asked Red Butler.

"We'll stay inside today. This storm would interfere with mining. Trying to get to the Color Caves would be hard."

"What will we do instead?" asked Buddy Blue.

"We'll take the day off. I'll work with Shy Violet and see if we can come up with a plan to stop Murky."

"I'll help too, Rainbow. Murky needs to be stopped as soon as possible," added Red Butler.

"I think I'll write a new play today," commented Indigo.

"I'll join you, Indigo," replied Canary Yellow. "I want to practice a new dance."

"I'm going to try new hairstyles," answered Lala Orange as she pretended to hold up a mirror. "I have some new ideas in mind."

"Champ and I will try out a new workout routine," added Buddy Blue.

"And I'm going to work on my jokes. I need some new ones, and Lucky is my test audience," stated Patty O'Green.

"Rainbow, will our meeting require my research on the Color Belt?" asked Shy Violet.

"Yes. We'll need that to see if the Belt has a weakness. We have to find a way to take it from Murky."

"Did you guys hear that?" asked Buddy Blue. "The rain's coming down harder."

"Isn't that the wind?" asked Patty O'Green.

Murky rose from his bed later than usual. Lurky had not made as much noise, so he was not woken up by the snoring. He took his time preparing for the day. After all, it would be a memorable one by the time the sun set. He placed the Color Belt around his waist, attaching it in the back. Finally, he called down to Lurky. "Banana brain! Go fetch Stormy and bring her to the laboratory!"

A series of crashes and bangs followed his statement. "Uh, sure Murky! I'll be right there!" Despite whatever Lurky had done, his voice came across cheerful and optimistic. This usually annoyed Murky, but not today, for it was a day he'd waited for.

The laboratory held the rest of the materials he needed. He gathered small sack full of his gloom sprinkles for the Color Belt. He would make sure he had plenty. Next, he prepped the gloom gun. It was more of a safety precaution than anything. He did not feel the belt would fail him, but he never went without his gloom gun in some form. Today would be no different.

As he was mixing up the concoction for his strongest gloom, Lurky ran into the room, nearly knocking into a nearby bookshelf. "Murky! Murky! Stormy—"

"Stormy what? Won't follow you?"

"No, Murky. Stormy—"

"is still sleeping," he remarked as he stirred together the ingredients.

"Murky!" tried Lurky again. "Stormy's not in her room!"

Murky turned his head quickly. "What? What do you mean she's not in her room?"

"I can't find her, Murky. I even checked under the bed. She's not there!"

"Impossible! Go see if she's with Skydancer! And do it quickly!" he yelled, beginning to get angry.

Lurky rushed from the room, and Murky anxiously anticipated his return. That brat couldn't have left the Pits. He had been sure to make sure that she had taken the gloom juice every day, and that it was the strongest variety he could concoct. Then it dawned on him. He had not given Stormy any yesterday, nor had he made a stronger variety, as he had originally intended. Taking the Color Belt had pushed thoughts of such things aside. _That brat wouldn't have turned on me… even without the gloom potion, she should still have a measure of obedience!_

His thoughts were answered when Lurky returned to the laboratory empty-handed. "Stormy's not there either, Murky. The horsey's gone too! It's magic, Murky!"

"No you fool! They've escaped! Quick, get the Grunge Buggy. We're going to Rainbow Land before she causes any trouble. She won't ruin my plan!"

"Right away, Murky!" Lurky dashed to retrieve the Grunge Buggy.

Murky grabbed his supplies. He went ahead and inserted some gloom sprinkles into the Belt. He attached the sack to his waist and picked up the gloom gun. He would still prevail over Rainbow Land in the end, whether Stormy interfered or not.

Lurky was waiting for him outside as the Grunge Buggy coughed and sputtered. Murky hopped in the side car. "Let's go! Get to Rainbow Land quickly! I don't want her messing things up!"

"You got it, Murky!" Lurky pressed down hard on the gas pedal and the Grunge Buggy took off. The tires squealed as the sudden burst of speed was given, but soon, the duo were flying down the path that would lead them out of the Pits. Murky gripped the side of the passenger car, bracing himself to see the bright, cheerful weather of Rainbow Land. It always bothered him.

However, sun did not greet him. As they crossed into Rainbow Land, a large storm greeted them. Murky had to double-check that they'd indeed left the Pits. The weather here was worse than there. The rain fell heavily, and Murky could not see very far in front of him. Lurky squinted as he droved. "Murky, I can't see the road! I don't know where I'm going." His fishtailed in the mud that was beginning to form.

Frustrated, Murky pressed his finger to the star on the Color Belt. The negative rainbow shot forth, and disappeared into the rain. "Drive on that rainbow! It'll take us to the Color Castle. Then we can get Stormy back."

Lurky did as he was told, and drove the vehicle onto the rainbow. The ride became much smooth, although Lurky still had to drive slowly; the rainbow blended in quite well with the storm, making for further reduced visibility.

The two were quickly soaked by the rain, as the wind had begun to pick up. Murky wiped the water from his face, shielding his eyes. This was not a natural storm. That brat was behind it, and things would only get worse if he couldn't stop her. "Lurky! Faster!"

"I can't go any faster, Murky. I can't see the rainbow very well!"

"Go faster, you buffoon! We need to find that brat and stop her!"

"Okay, Murky!" Lurky pressed the gas pedal as far as it would go, and the Grunge Buggy took off with a burst of speed. True to his word, Lurky could not see the rainbow very well in the storm, and the Grunge Buggy plunged over the edge.

"Now you've done it!" shouted Murky as the duo fell. He raised his arms to protect his face, a futile reflex. Lucky for them the rainbow hadn't been very high off the ground. _Splash!_ A large puddle cushioned their fall, sucking the Grunge Buggy in engine first. Lurky and Murky were in the middle of the puddle, unharmed by the fall.

Murky pulled himself to his feet, sliding dangerously in the mud. He couldn't find his gloom gun, but found the Color Belt still attached to his waist. It would have to do. He turned to Lurky, who could barely stand in the muck for more than a few seconds before he fell. "Get up, Lurky! There's been a change in plans."

"A change?" asked Lurky.

"Yes. If that brat is creating these storms, then we'll use it to our advantage. We'll take Rainbow and the Color Kids down for good. Stormy will be our distraction." He grinned, rubbing his hands together.

Stormy watched the Color Castle from her position in the cloud. Still, there wasn't any movement inside that she could see. Surely though, they had to be worried about this storm. Once more she raised her hand, intent on making sure they emerged. A large bolt of lightning flashed nearby and for a moment, her silhouette was highlighted against the cloud, Skydancer standing regally behind her. She grinned, pleased to finally be able to wreck havoc in her own way, without Murky to instruct her or place limits on her. "Goodbye, Rainbow," she whispered menacingly.

With a pull of her hand, the wind began to whip about, gathering itself together and blowing in all directions. The trees began to shake and quiver, and the grass started to flatten itself. Loose pieces of nature flew about, and elsewhere, the clanging of window shutters could be heard.


	25. One Last Plea

**Chapter 24 One Last Plea**

Murky used his hands to cover his face, trying to protect himself from the tiny flying bits of rock and grass that whipped past his face. The wind was howling and he couldn't hear Lurky behind him, though he knew the idiot was trying to say something. "Quiet!" he yelled over the roar, uncertain as to how much good that would do.

If he didn't know his way to the Color Castle, he would have been lost in the storm. With the combination of rain and wind, he could barely see more than a few feet in front of him. Still, he trudged on, intent on using Stormy's storm as his distraction. Rainbow and the Color Kids would be more focused on the storm, and certainly not expecting Murky to attack them at such a time. It made for a perfect setup.

Meanwhile, the scene inside the Color Castle was chaos. Color Kids were running back and forth, trying to batten down the hatches. Twink was scared, and much of his speech was garbled. "Stay calm, everyone!" yelled Rainbow over the roar of the storm. "We have to be calm or we won't make it through this!"

"The shutters are all closed as best we can!" shouted Red Butler.

"And the windows are boarded up too!" added Buddy Blue.

"Good. We just have to hope the storm blows over," remarked Rainbow.

Shy Violet came running into the room. "We have to get downstairs!" she shouted.

Rainbow turned to look at her friend. She saw the worry etched into Shy Violet's face, her hair frazzled. "What's wrong?"

Shy Violet tried to catch her breath as she spoke. "From my calculations, the storm's intensity is capable of mass destruction. It is safest in the lowest level of the Color Castle."

"I'll lead the way!" shouted Red Butler. "Follow me!"

The Color Kids followed Red Butler, and Rainbow and Twink made up the tail end of the group. Rainbow turned and took one last look around the main room. She had a terrible, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed that aside. She must be brave for the rest of them, no matter how scared she felt.

"Come on, Rainbow!" called Twink.

Turning back around, Rainbow rushed after her sprite, descending the steps quickly. She found the Color Kids in one of the empty rooms downstairs. They were all huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. They went quiet as Rainbow and Twink entered the room. Rainbow closed the door behind them. The only light they had to see by was the small lantern that one of the Kids had grabbed along the way.

"I'm scared," whispered Lala Orange.

"Me too," added Canary Yellow.

"Me three," tacked on Patty O'Green.

"I'm scared too," Rainbow whispered, afraid to admit the simple truth. "I don't have my Color Belt, and I don't know what to do. I've never seen a storm like this."

"A storm of this magnitude has never been seen in Rainbow Land before," informed Shy Violet. "The natural weather patterns here aren't capable of creating such a system."

"So Murky must be behind it?" asked Indigo.

"No. Well, yes, but it's that girl who's doing it. She has the power to create storms. I suspect that what she showed us at the Sprite Fair was only a preview," explained Shy Violet.

"I wonder why she's working for Murky anyway," remarked Patty O'Green.

"Who'd wanna work for him?" asked Buddy Blue.

"Not me," replied Lala Orange.

"I don't think anyone would," added Red Butler. "He just mucks everything up."

"What if she had no choice?" suggested Shy Violet. "What if Murky made her do it?"

Everyone was silent for a few moments as they pondered this thought. They couldn't imagine working for Murky, much less having no choice in the matter, and no chance to try and fight it. All that could be heard was the sounds of the high winds.

"Why would Murky do that?" asked Canary Yellow.

"It's simple. Stormy controls the weather. He must have known this and that he could use it to his advantage. In theory, it's a brilliant idea for one inclined to destroy a group of people," explained Shy Violet.

"Stormy?" asked Rainbow.

"I just remembered that Murky mentioned her name at the race. Why?"

"That name…sounds familiar," answered Rainbow, scrunching up her face as she tried to recall where she'd heard it before. Fuzzy pieces of something came to mind, but nothing concrete that she could pull a memory from. She sighed.

The creaking of the Color Castle walls interrupted all of their thoughts. Outside, something smashed against a nearby wall, and all of the Kids winced. Instinctively, they huddled closer together.

"It sounds like the Castle is going to fall apart!" exclaimed Lala Orange.

"The Castle can only bear so much force. If the winds get much higher, the Color Castle could collapse," answered Shy Violet.

"But we're inside!" replied Canary Yellow in horror.

Shy Violet pondered this. "If I remember correctly, there's an underground passage that will lead us right under the mines. The cavern can only be accessed by the passage. I've not traveled much on it, but I found it one day while working on the electrical system. The room across the hall will lead us there. I suspect it was an escape route for a previous Rainbow Brite." She got to her feet, grabbing the lantern. "Follow me!"

The Color Kids took off after Shy Violet, eager to seek out a place of safety. They all turned when they saw Rainbow standing behind them, not moving.

"Come on, Rainbow. We've gotta go!" called Red Butler.

"No! I'm going to see if I can talk to her. Perhaps if I can talk to her, she'll stop the storms," called Rainbow, a determined look on her face.

"Rainbow, it's too dangerous to do that! The winds are too strong!" reminded Patty O'Green, fear in her eyes.

"You can't do it, Rainbow!" added Indigo.

"If we don't hurry, we'll be trapped here," warned Shy Violet.

"Go on ahead. I have to try," declared Rainbow as she turned and ran for the stairs that lead to the main level of the Color Castle. The Color Kids could only stare open mouthed as they watched their protector race off to near certain doom.

"Should we go after her?" voiced Lala Orange.

"We can't. We'll only put all of ourselves in danger if we do. If that happens, Rainbow Land will surely fall," stated Shy Violet gravely.

"But we can't leave her!" retorted Red Butler.

"We have to trust Rainbow," mumbled Canary Yellow.

With heavy hearts, the Color Kids followed Shy Violet into the passage. None of them wanted to leave Rainbow behind. They didn't want her to end up hurt. They'd rather be with their friend, but Rainbow had wanted to go alone. They would honor her wishes.

"It's not very far," called Shy Violet over the silence as they walked along the dark passage. The dim light from the lantern did not provide much in the way of light, and there were many stubbed toes along the way. For the most part, the passage was straight and sloped upwards at times. There was not very much room to move. The passage appeared to have been made tall enough and wide enough for someone not much bigger than a Color Kid.

"Do you think Rainbow's all right?" whispered Indigo.

"It's Rainbow. She has to be all right," whispered Canary Yellow back.

"But how will we know?" asked Buddy Blue.

"We won't unless we leave the cavern," answered Shy Violet. "There's an exit into the mines, but we wouldn't want to go out until we knew the storm was over, incase the storm was just as bad near the caves. The wind could create a vortex that would suck out everything in its path."

This plunged the group into silence once more. The clinking of the lantern and the shuffle of feet were the only sounds for the next few minutes. Now that they knew there was no way out until the storm was over, many of them felt trapped. They were helpless to save Rainbow, and wouldn't know her fate until they were certain the storm had passed.

"Up ahead is the cavern. Stay close, everyone!" shouted Shy Violet.

She led the group into a fairly good sized cavern, with enough room overhead to stand, and enough to spread out comfortably. Boulders were in the cavern, and made spaces to sit upon or climb onto. Eerie noises greeted the Kids, the result of the wind echoing in other parts of the cave. They all took a seat, and began to wait out the storm.

"Murky, what's that?" asked Lurky, pointing into the distance.

"What? I can't hear you!"

"What's that?" shouted Lurky at the top of his lungs. He pointed again, hoping Murky would spot it.

"Huh?" Murky gazed off, trying to see through the wind and rain. His eyes widened. "Go the other way, Lurky! Now! We've got to move or it'll get us too!" He turned around and began attempting to run in the opposite direction, which was easier to do now that they were moving with the wind.

"What'll it do, Murky?" asked Lurky, following him.

"It'll kill us if we're in the way. That thing is deadly!"

Rainbow raced up the stairs, noticing the creaking was louder than ever. She ignored this and pushed down her fear. She wouldn't let this be for nothing. She needed to protect the Color Kids, even without her belt. If only she could talk to Stormy, then perhaps she could end this storm. Even though the girl worked for Murky, there might be a chance of reasoning with her.

Racing for the door, her footsteps pounded against the floor. She flung open the door and the wind hit full force, threatening to suck her and anything else not bolted down out. She held her hands up to protect her face and trudged outside. All she could see was wind and rain, but she knew Stormy had to be out there, somewhere.

As Stormy gazed down from her cloud haven, she noticed someone exiting the Color Castle. She pondered who it could be for a few moments, arms crossed. It had to be Rainbow. No one else would be foolish enough to venture out in such a storm. Stormy eyed her trump card in the distance. It didn't matter because she'd soon take care of Rainbow and her friends. Regardless, she called for Skydancer, and together, they descended from the haven on tiny cloud wisps.

Rainbow looked up, noticing something moving in the distance. The wind and rain made it hard to see, but she eventually picked out the outline of a horse and rider. It had to be Stormy. She watched as the girl came down from the clouds, until she was directly in front of her, on top of her horse. It was now or never.

"Stormy, please stop this storm. You're going to destroy Rainbow Land," pleaded Rainbow.

Stormy crossed her arms. "And what if that was my goal to begin with?" Skydancer snorted his agreement.

"Why do you want to destroy Rainbow Land?"

"Because…because… it doesn't matter! I'm going to, and you can't stop me!"

"Please, Stormy. Don't do this. You need to stop it."

"I've waited a long time to be able to do this. You aren't going to stop me, and Murky isn't either."

This surprised Rainbow. Stormy was destroying Rainbow Land and said that Murky wouldn't stop her….did that mean that Murky hadn't told her to do this either. How could that be? The girl was with Murky the last time. Had she gotten rid of him too?

"You might wanna find somewhere safe," began Stormy, pointing behind her. "That tornado is going to destroy everything in its path." She laughed loudly, giggling like a child. "Skydancer! Let's go!"

Skydancer turned and ran back up the cloud wisps. Stormy knew that she would need to avoid the storm as well, not wanting a repeat of the last time she'd created a small one. It would be easy to outrun, and if she could control the path of the tornado, all the better. She wondered if perhaps she'd be able stop it once it'd finished its job.

Rainbow turned and saw the large wind funnel. It was near the Color Castle. She ran back inside. There had to be someplace to hide. As she crossed the floor of the main level, she heard the first sounds of the Color Castle being destroyed. Frantically, she dove across the floor, sliding into one of the open closet doors. She pulled whatever was hanging over her, and waited.

Stormy watched as the funnel cloud slammed into the Color Castle. No match, the Color Castle burst into pieces, debris flying everywhere. No time to ponder, Stormy urged Skydancer into the cloud and watched from above as they moved away. The Castle shook and caved in bit by bit as the tornado made its way through. As it moved away, Stormy glimpsed the ruins of the Color Castle. She worked to dispel the tornado, or at least, to send it off on a different path. She couldn't believe it…she'd actually accomplished what she'd set out to do. She'd killed Rainbow, and now Rainbow Land was hers for the taking.


	26. After Effects

**Chapter 25 After Effects **

She'd killed Rainbow. After all she'd worked with Murky, after all he'd told her, she'd accomplished her goal. She could take over Rainbow Land if she could take the belt from Murky… and then she would be in charge. The revelation soon wore off as reality sunk in. She'd killed someone… someone who was to be her enemy, yet… she felt something stir deep with in her.

Instinctively, she turned Skydancer around, racing down the cloud wisps toward the rubble of the Color Castle. She didn't notice the storm beginning to dispel around her. She didn't care that tiny bits of flying debris stung her skin. She dismounted Skydancer before his hooves touched the ground and slipped in the mud. She pulled herself to her feet, ignoring the mud that covered her body. She raced toward the scene of the destruction. Her hands began brushing through the debris, pulling away bits of material, pieces of wood, and broken glass. She searched, hoping, hoping that it wasn't true.

It had been a long time since they'd escaped from the Color Castle. The strange sounds they had heard since then were slowly fading away, and each began to wonder if perhaps the storm was over. Each was afraid to voice the opinion, remembering what Shy Violet had said about the winds in the caverns.

"Someone should check," spoke Red Butler at last. "We can't hear anything anymore."

"Do you think she did it?" asked Indigo softly.

"If the storms stopped, Rainbow must have done it," spoke Canary Yellow, trying to be optimistic.

"But… wouldn't she have come through the passage to tell us?" asked Patty O'Green, doubt creeping into her voice.

"She didn't know where the passage was," interrupted Shy Violet. "I hadn't told her anything about it. If Rainbow is safe, she wouldn't be able to get to us. We'd have to find her."

"So shouldn't we check?" asked Red Butler, repeating himself.

"We can't risk this only being a calm period in the storm. We have to be sure that the wind has died down, and the tornado is no longer a threat," explained Shy Violet calmly. Inside, she wanted to do the very same thing. Her gut was trying to override what her scientific side told her. She had to force herself to listen to the science she knew to avoid any deaths or unwanted injuries. "We'll wait it out just a bit longer."

"But what if Rainbow needs help?" Buddy Blue asked, voicing the unwanted question.

"We can't hurt ourselves in the process," explained Shy Violet once more, calmly and patiently. "Just a little more time."

"Oh, Rainbow," muttered Lala Orange.

Murky looked up from his hiding spot. He and Lurky had taken cover in a deep ditch. It had kept them safe from most of the debris that had flown past. Murky had seen large pieces fly past his head, uncertain as to what they might be. They had flown by with a deathly force, one he wasn't willing to mess with. He looked to his left, where Lurky cowered with his hands over his furry head. He shook, fearful of what had just occurred.

Rising to his feet, Murky brushed off the mud that now covered his outfit as best he could. It didn't do much good. He turned his attention to his henchman. "Up, you buffoon! We need to go check out the Color Castle right away! We might be able to get inside."

Lurky brushed himself off. "All right Murky. Should I get the Grunge Buggy?"

"There's no time!" shouted Murky. "Let's go quickly before anyone can recover!" In truth, Murky had no idea where the Grunge Buggy had ended up, or if it even still functioned. He adjusted the Color Belt on his waist and patted his vest. He still could rely on it if all else failed.

Parting the bushes they'd hidden behind, Murky stepped out. His jaw dropped when he saw the scene before him. Beyond the sprite village, where the Color Castle should have stood, was a large pile of rubbish, the remainder of what was once the glorious Color Castle. Murky rubbed his eyes, uncertain of whether he could believe what he was seeing.

"Murky, where'd the Color Castle go? I don't see it!" exclaimed Lurky.

So he wasn't just seeing things. Lurky saw the same thing. The Color Castle had been destroyed. He knew that Stormy was behind it; there was no other explanation. Her power had grown exponentially, and while he had worked to cultivate it, he wasn't sure he could control her anymore. Less and less time passed between having to create a new gloom variant. She would quickly become immune to whatever he created. If he went much stronger, he would have a mere robot on hand, and that idea did not suit him.

Slowly, he walked toward the Color Castle. He heard Lurky following behind him. Together they walked past the main village path, past the sprite houses and the open-mouthed sprites who stared in shock at the sight before them. They didn't notice Murky and Lurky, and if they did, it didn't register. They simply couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Murky, what happened to the Castle?"

"I think…I think Stormy destroyed it for us," answered Murky.

"But why? Where are we supposed to live now?"

"In the Pits." Murky was too shocked to insult his henchman. He came to the edge of the lake, seeing that the bridge was destroyed. Ropes hung freely, still attached to the stakes that held the bridge in the ground. To get across meant to swim.

Suddenly, Murky noticed that something moved in the pile. He looked, trying to discern the figure and realized that it was Stormy. She appeared to be digging through the remains, searching for something.

"Stormy! What are you doing?" shouted Murky.

The figure paused, looking over the pile at the two. She said nothing as she looked at them, and then went back to digging. They were of no concern to her.

"Stormy!" Murky shouted again, frustrated. When she didn't answer, he pulled a few of his grey star sprinkles from his pouch and inserted them in the Color Belt. Pressing a finger to the star, he activated it, and a greyscale rainbow wove its way toward Stormy. Without looking, Stormy deflected the beam with a flick of a finger. A wave of lightning destroyed the rainbow. Skydancer jumped forward, leaping from the pile. He began to chase Murky and Lurky as Stormy waved her finger a few more times, assisting with the lightning.

"That brat will pay for this!" shouted Murky as he ran. He knew that Skydancer could run much faster.

"Haha, the horsey's chasing us, Murky!"

"I know that, banana brain!"

"The horsey's really fast!"

"Don't remind me!" Murky would come back to the Color Castle with a new plan. Stormy would not get away with her betrayal. He cursed not giving her a large dose of gloom potion that would have made her completely obedient. She would not get away with what she'd done. She would not cross Murky Dismal.

Stormy's hands ached. She didn't know how long she'd been digging. She didn't even know where to look. She'd merely fallen to her knees and began throwing pieces of the rubble into the lake. That seemed the safest bet when it came to searching for Rainbow. "Hello? Hello?" she called hoarsely, repeating her cry every few minutes. She hoped there would be an answer. If only she could dig long enough…

Something sliced across her hand and she looked down, noticing a tiny piece of glass. Her hand began to bleed, and she knew the cut wasn't deep, but it was deep enough. She stopped digging and stared down at the blood trickling from her left palm. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sobbed, letting her emotions free.

She cried, unable to fathom what she had done. It had seemed like a good idea back then, until she'd actually executed the plan and realized the depth of her actions. Now she wished she hadn't, wished she could go back in time and fix it.

After awhile, her sobs became soft cries. It was then she noticed something beside her. A blue sprite stood there, holding up a first aid kit. He chattered to her in a sprite language, but she couldn't understand him. The blue sprite tried again, pointing to his first aid kit, and then her hand. Another sprite, a green one, had joined him.

"Why do you want to help me? I was the one who caused this!" replied Stormy in anguish.

The sprite made an attempt to reply, but Stormy didn't know what he said. She merely sat there, looking at her hand. With the green sprite's help, he was able to open his kit and begin cleaning the wound. Stormy said nothing as he bandaged her hand. When he was finished, he put his supplies back in the kit, patting her hand and chattering happily.

"Why?" she asked again, looking at her bandaged hand. "I hurt your friend. You shouldn't help me."

The sprite whistled, waving over his companions. Stormy could see them using objects to float across the tiny gap in the lake. It was as though they were going to help her find Rainbow. She decided to explain things to them, hoping they might understand her, even though she didn't understand them. "Rainbow's trapped under there. She could be hurt really bad. She could be… dead. I don't know. I can't get down deep enough. Can you help me?"

Quickly, the sprites set to work. Some sprites worked to unbury and get rid of the rubble. They would pass pieces on to other sprites, who would help get them across the lake. Once the pieces had been floated across, another set of sprites would take them to a pile that had been started. Stormy used her good hand, ignoring the pain she felt in the other hand. She was going to help them work. It wouldn't make up for what she'd done, but it was something she felt she had to do.

Shy Violet rose to her feet. It had been awhile, and nothing new had been heard. It was time to go find Rainbow and let her know that they were all safe. Hopefully, Rainbow had been the one to convince Stormy to stop the storms. "All right. Follow behind me and we'll head to the Color Castle," she called.

Each of the Color Kids rose and stretched, feeling cramped after being in the dim cavern for so long. Shy Violet led them to where a large group of boulders rested near one of the walls. Behind it was a small opening, large enough to crawl through. "In here!" Crawling into the cramped tunnel soon lead to the walls widening and the ceiling becoming farther away. Soon, they could each stand and walk comfortable. The tunnel wound through the cave, eventually opening at the very back of the mine. Now that the Color Kids knew where they were, they raced forward, heading for the main opening. They gaped in horror as they looked over the edge, and down at the remains of the Color Castle.

"It's…it's…gone…" whispered Patty O'Green.

"How can that be?" exclaimed Red Butler.

"How was it destroyed?" questioned Indigo.

"It may not have been stable enough to hold up against the winds," answered Shy Violet.

"Rainbow…where's Rainbow?" asked Canary Yellow, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"She must be all right… she's Rainbow," mumbled Lala Orange.

"Stormy couldn't have stopped Rainbow," added Buddy Blue.

In the distance, they could all see the colored specks working on top of the rubble. They knew the sprites were digging. "Rainbow must be buried under all the rubble," explained Shy Violet. "The sprites must be digging to find her."

"Come on, Color Kids! We've got to go help!" shouted Red Butler. He instantly took off at a run down the sloped mountainside, intent on getting to the scene of the destroyed Color Castle as quickly as possible.

The rest of the Kids followed, running to keep up with him. A couple of times, they had to slow down, finding a way through the mud. By the time they arrived at the scene, none were clean anymore, but that was the least of their worries. They were worried about their leader, their protector, their friend. Then they saw Stormy, sitting atop the pile, assisting the sprites.

"Get down from there! Don't you think you've done enough damage?" shouted Red Butler, furious to see the girl.

"Yeah, go away! It's your fault it happened!" added Buddy Blue, stepping to the front beside Red Butler.

Stormy merely looked at the pair, fear in her eyes. All that she'd done came back to her, and she put her head in her hands, trying to block out the boys. She'd done it. She'd murdered Rainbow.

"Can't you hear us?" yelled Patty O'Green. "Go away!"

Fearful of what was happening and the images she was seeing, she knew she had to escape. "Skydancer!" she shouted hoarsely. Skydancer appeared by her side in the rubble and she used her good hand to pull herself onto his backside, having a bit of trouble at first. Without looking back at the Color Kids, she urged him into the sky and into the clouds. They couldn't get to her there. No one could. Murky would never be able to have her, and the Color Kids could not hurt her for what she'd done, even though she deserved all of it.

"I messed up, Skydancer. I really messed up," she lamented as she slid from his backside and fell backwards onto the soft cloud. Skydancer nickered, and nuzzled the side of her head gently. He had never seen his mistress feel this way before.


	27. Anger and Regret

**Chapter 26 Anger and Regret**

The digging continued well into the night, but still no sign of Rainbow could be found. The sprites and Color Kids worked effortlessly, removing the rubble slowly and carefully. Shy Violet was managing the crew, making sure that certain pieces weren't removed before others. It was decided to call it a night for a few hours so that some rest could be gotten. Shy Violet refused to let anyone work without taking a nap, even though no one wanted to stop. Too much was at stake and they couldn't wait much longer. A few more hours, and they would be back to work. The light rigging that had been created was left up, and everyone else split to the sprite homes to share rooms for the few hours.

Stormy had watched the entire scene from her hideaway in the clouds. She had hoped that they would find Rainbow, and that she wouldn't be dead. Now, everyone was going to nap from what she heard. It would be her chance to try again. She fingered her bandaged palm, considering her options. She didn't know what they could do to her if they found her, but they didn't have the Color Belt so it couldn't be much.

"Skydancer," she whispered, rising to her feet. Skydancer moved closer, and together the two descended from the clouds once more.

Stormy carefully began removing pieces of debris from the pile after checking to make sure no one else was around. "Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?" she whispered, loud enough that she hoped Rainbow might here.

Every attempt gave her no response, but she still kept digging. Again, she called out. This time, she thought she heard someone calling back to her.

"Is someone there?" she called, listening carefully for a response. She thought she might be hearing things, hoping for a reply. Instead, she got what sounded to be a whisper, a faint hoarse cry.

Calling out again, Stormy tried to pinpoint the whisper, and did so on the third try. She began digging with renewed fervor, shoving aside the pieces or tossing them into the lake. She didn't care anymore. The first glimpse of a hand inspired her to finish. The fingers twitched and were attached to a tattered sleeve. It wasn't long before Stormy could uncover the rest of the body.

Rainbow was quite a sight. Her clothes were ripped and she was full of scrapes and scratches, some deeper than others. Her body was caked with dirt and mud; her boots were wet, for nearby was a burst pipe. Stormy pushed down the feelings that were creeping forward, things she did not feel like acknowledging. Now that she had uncovered Rainbow, she was uncertain as to what she should do. The girl seemed to injured to be moved, and yet, she needed help. However, if Stormy got the Color Kids, they would surely get rid of her.

A sound came from Rainbow's throat. It was soft and barely audible. Stormy looked down, and saw dull blue eyes looking back at her. They held no anger, and yet, they held no pain. The girl was hanging on. Stormy rested her palm on top of Rainbow's hand, ignoring the dried blood. She would get help. Something inside of her told her so, a tiny pin prick of warmth. She nodded and stood.

"Hey! Get away from there!"

Stormy spun around, only to come face to face with an angry Red Butler. Behind him was Buddy Blue. Neither boy looked happy to see her there. She stood, frozen to the spot. Instinctively, her body began manipulating the clouds nearby, ready to attack. She could feel the anticipation, feel the adrenaline begin rushing through her veins.

"Look! She's going to attack again!" shouted Buddy Blue.

"Don't let her! She'll only hurt Rainbow more!" retorted Red Butler, fists clenched.

At his words, Stormy dropped her hands to her side. The adrenaline faded as soon as it had come, and she felt empty once more. She looked down again, seeing those eyes. No pain, no anger. She turned and walked over to Skydancer, climbing upon his back. She gently kicked his side, urging him in the night sky.

Both boys watched Stormy go, fearing that she would turn around at any time and call the sky upon them. They waited, poised to attack, though they both knew they had no way of defending themselves. Only Rainbow had been capable of such a thing, and now she was injured. When neither of them could see Stormy any longer, they released breaths they didn't know they had been holding.

"You go get Shy Violet. I'll stay here and watch Rainbow in case Stormy comes back again," instructed Red Butler.

"Right! I'll be back as soon as possible," replied Buddy Blue.

He carefully maneuvered his way through the rubble, making his way to the edge of the destroyed Castle. A small dingy bobbed in the murky water, and he hopped inside. Champ waited for him and chattered nervously to him. "It's all right. She didn't attack us," he told the sprite, trying to calm him. "We need to get Shy Violet though. We've found Rainbow."

Champ's chattering became happier. He picked up one of the oars and began rowing as Buddy did the same in front of him. He talked all the way back to the shore.

"That's right, Champ. We can still save Rainbow Land after all. Let's run as fast as we can. The sooner we get Rainbow help, the sooner things can get better again!" The pair raced up the rocky path to the Color Cave, which is where the other Color Kids had decided to set up a temporary shelter. It wasn't the most comfortable of places, but it would have to do.

Saving Rainbow became a very tedious task. As soon as Shy Violet had been told of the situation, she set to work with a group of sprites, planning how to get her friend from the rubble pile up to the Color Cave. It would be a long task, and possibly could take quite some time if Rainbow's injuries were serious enough. "Yes, yes," she murmured to herself as she wrote down notes in a notepad one of the sprites had brought her. "You get the materials for this," she instructed a group that was led by Twink.

"No problem!" He nodded to her and then turned to his group. "Let's go! We have to hurry so we can help Rainbow!" They all dashed off.

To another she said, "Bring me the first aid kit kept in the Color Cave." That sprite also replied to her before rushing off.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Canary Yellow, wringing her hands.

Shy Violet shook her head. "I don't think so. If we take too many people, it could be more harmful than helpful. It is best if you stay behind with the others and prepare the area for Rainbow to stay in. We'll need to make it as comfortable as possible."

"Do you think she's okay?" asked Lala Orange. Patty O'Green nodded beside her.

"Buddy said she was alive. Rainbow is a strong person. I believe she'll make it through, and you'll need to believe that too. We can only hope that as the protector of Rainbow Land she'll heal strong."

Chattering from beside Shy Violet stopped any further remarks. A green sprite stood there, holding up the white metal box with a red cross on it. Shy Violet took it from his hands gently. "Thank you," she said, smiling. The sprite saluted her and then returned to his group.

"We'll be back soon," she called to her friends. "I hope…" she whispered.

Shy Violet was not prepared for the girl she saw when Buddy led her to the top of the rubble. She was not sure what she had expected to see, but it certainly was not this. In her time as the Violet Color Kid, she had treated many small injuries, sprite and Kid alike. They were usually minor scrapes and dings, though sometimes there was a broken arm or leg. It had never been anything major or life threatening.

Looking at Rainbow, she realized that there could be many broken bones, many internal injuries that she could not see. There might be things she could not fix or even know about. She had never seen this much blood before. As she knelt carefully beside her fallen friend, she wondered if her skill would be enough. She looked up at Buddy Blue and Red Butler, and she could see their hopeful faces through the dim light that they shined upon her. Everyone was counting on her to save Rainbow…but what if she could not? She gathered her courage. No, she would not think that way. She opened the first aid kit and began treating the wounds that she could reach and take care of first. It was going to be a long night.

Stormy had taken cover in the clouds once more. She wandered around, murmuring to herself. She had tried to help, but had been turned away. She could not blame them. She had wanted to attack them. It had been instinct, but she had stopped before it could get out of control. She didn't want to cause any more trouble.

"What do I do now?" she wondered. She felt empty inside. She had no goal and no purpose. She had destroyed to complete a task, and felt nothing. She had saved someone she had meant to kill, and yet she felt not much more. Her stomach was a twist of knots inside. She looked over to Skydancer, who was looking out of the cloud they had hidden inside.

She moved closer, patting his side as she stared down. They were almost directly over the Pits. Anger suddenly stirred inside, white hot anger. It took her by surprise, but she let the feeling overtake her being. She was not so empty and lost. She knew what she would do. It would not make up for her destruction, but it would be a start.

Skydancer leaned down and nuzzled the top of her head. He seemed to know what she wanted to do as well. She rested her head against the horse, letting his heartbeat fuel her. Murky had done so many things to her while she had stayed with him. She had been angered. Flashes of the very first days she had been in Rainbow Land came back to her in a rush. Things she had not been able to recall before were suddenly crystal clear in her memory. She remembered being given the drinks and she remembered being locked in the darkness. She recalled the nights she had gone without supper, and the days he had spent pushing her to her limits.

She had learned the things he had wanted her to. She had learned everything because of him. She had developed a hatred for Rainbow and her friends, all because of the things he had told her. She had done as he asked because he had made a promise to her. She had taken the Color Belt. She had destroyed the Color Castle. He had caused the empty feeling inside of her, the one that should have been joy for all of her hard work had paid off.

Clenching her fists, she climbed onto Skydancer's back. She let her body direct the clouds instinctively. There was no need to hold back. She felt the charged energy and knew that every cloud willed to her command. This time, she would destroy with a purpose that was her own, and not one that someone had thrust upon her. She knew the costs of facing off against the person who had taken care of her since she had been brought to this place. She also knew what she wanted to do, what she had wanted to do for so very long. She could almost taste it on the tip of her tongue. She urged Skydancer into a charge, racing from the cloud. The wind began to howl and the rains fell. Lightning brightened the sky every few seconds, illuminating her face. The anger there could no longer be hidden.

Shy Violet finally let herself begin to believe that Rainbow was going to be all right. She had completed the basic first aid while the sprites had readied the makeshift stretcher that would transport her to the Color Cave. She wiped sweat from her brow and rose to her feet slowly. She could feel muscles protesting after having been folded for the past hour. She stretched. "Carry her slowly to the raft. Please do not bump the stretcher. I do not know the extent of all of her injuries yet."

Buddy Blue and Red Butler complied without a word. They moved slowly and careful amongst the broken pieces, navigating to the raft that awaited them at the bottom of the pile. It had been built by a team of sprites while Shy Violet worked. They had been quick, knowing that their precious Rainbow needed them. The boys carefully set the stretcher down, and then helped Shy Violet onto the raft. Four sprites poled them the short distance to the main land.

From there, the boys carefully took Rainbow up the dirt road. Shy Violet followed behind them. Up ahead, she could see a group of sprites keeping watch. As soon as they spotted the group, they raced back inside, and she knew they were letting everyone else know that Rainbow had been recovered. She smiled, and then yawned. Her body was tired after so much physical and mental exertion, but she knew she could not rest just yet. She still had to tend to Rainbow, and give instructions to some of the others.

Gasps from the Color Kids who had stayed behind told Shy Violet that they had not expected Rainbow to look so terrible either. No one could have predicted this would ever happen to any of them.

"Rainbow…" lamented Twink.

"Is she… dead?" whispered Indigo.

Shy Violet shook her head. "Unconscious from fatigue and pain. She requires a long period to recover."

"We've finished her room," spoke up Patty O'Green. She wasn't going to let herself feel so squeamish. "It's not the best, but it's all we could do."

"We'll take you there," added Lala Orange.

The three girls led the way back through the mine. They took a sharp left, heading into a section that the sprites for storage and special inventory. On the floor of one such room was a pile of large pillows that would serve as the mattress. Blankets rested nearby. Because the Color Kids did not have access to anything inside the Color Castle, the sprites had donated whatever they could find in their homes.

"Should we… clean her up first?" asked Canary Yellow hesitantly.

Shy Violet nodded. "I believe that would be a good idea. Then I will be able to examine her much more closely for injuries I may have missed outside." She saw the dismal look on each of her friends' faces. "I know it looks bad, but I believe we can help her."

"And then get the Color Belt back?" asked Twink hopefully. "And rebuild the Color Castle too?"

"Yes, Twink," answered Shy Violet with a chuckle. "We can."

Twink's optimism seemed to help the rest of the Color Kids. It boosted their spirits just a bit, and for once it seemed like there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. They rushed off in different directions, doing whatever was necessary to make sure that Rainbow was set on the path to recovery.


	28. A Return

**Chapter 27 A Return**

"I said, give me the Color Belt." She spoke slowly and evenly, but he could tell there was anger hidden beneath the surface. He knew the fury she could unleash. He had pushed her toward that kind of power, and now she was turning on him.

"So you think you can face me, do you? You think I'm going to give you the Color Belt? You've surely gotten rainbows inside your head if you think that!" he shouted at her, shaking a fist. His other hand rested near the star, his finger aching to touch it and release the grey waves from within. A pouch of grey star sprinkles rested at his side.

Lightning flashed again, illuminating her face. She would not back down it seemed. He could not stand her being so disobedient. If only he had continued to up the dosage of the concoction, he would not be in this mess! His mind began calculating ways to knock her unconscious. He could not get rid of his most precious experiment. He had to be careful, very careful.

The faceoff had all started when he had noticed the weather changing. Having lived in the Pits for a few hundred years, he knew the sounds of the weather and the various patterns it often took by heart. The weather had merely become background noise to him, soothing in a way. As he had trained Stormy over the years, he had learned to recognize that stronger weather could be attributed to her working on her powers. The sound was music to his ears.

He had been tinkering with a new device, one that he had hoped would bring Stormy back under his control. If he worked for a couple more hours, it would be complete enough to be functional. He could not let that brat continue to stray from his side. She was too important to his plans. His ears began to pick up on the sounds of the weather, the subtle hints letting him know that she had returned.

"Hey Murky, I think Stormy's here to see you!" shouted Lurky through the doorway. "She's brought her horsey and everything! Want me to go get her?"

"Sure, and become fried Lurky," he retorted angrily.

"She wouldn't fry me, Murky. I know she wouldn't."

Murky sighed in frustration. If only that oaf would leave him to do his work, he could make quick work of Stormy. "Can't you see I'm trying to finish this?" he roared angrily.

Suddenly, the walls around him began to shake ever so slightly. He paused in his work, listening carefully. Within seconds, they shook once more. He dropped the screw driver as he rushed to the nearest window. There, he could see Stormy taking shots at the outer walls. She was trying to destroy him. Turning quickly, he had grabbed a bag of grey star sprinkles and headed outside to face her. It was time to get her under control.

Thus, they stood, facing off against each other. She had dismounted Skydancer as she made her demands. It made him laugh! He had worked so hard to get the Color Belt. He had planned and schemed for years. He had searched many intergalactic slave auctions, searching for the perfect person to complete his goal. He had far exceeded him goal. With this thought, he pressed the star on the Color Belt.

An all too familiar greyscale rainbow shot forth. It snaked its way through the air, heading for its intended target. Stormy merely dodged out of the way. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a bolt of lightning streaking toward Murky. He dodged behind a boulder at the last moment. She smirked. He was going to be too easy. She began pulling the clouds closer together, and the wind began to howl in the distance, just in case. Moving forward, she prepared to take the Belt.

However, another greyscale rainbow shot out, grabbing her around the middle. She squirmed and tugged at the band, but it only tightened about her waist. Knowing that he'd caught her, he stepped out from behind the boulder. "You're not going to escape this. And once I have you back inside, you'll be put back under my watch. You'll never taste freedom as far as I'm concerned! You're no better than Rainbow and her Color Brats!"

"You won't take me. I won't let you!" The roaring of the wind picked up and moved closer, but Murky held no fear. He tightened the band with a simple thought, and the wind suddenly died off. Stormy was fighting to catch her breath. As long as he kept it up, she wouldn't be able to get any shots in.

"I do believe I've won. Don't you agree?" Murky cackled with glee. He had averted disaster. He—

"Hey Murky you forgot your gun!" shouted Lurky as he ran outside. He was in such a hurry that he wasn't careful to keep an eye on where he was going. One foot came down on one of his shoelaces, and he flew forward. The gun was flung from his hands and smacked against the ground. It did not break, but the force caused the gun to fire off a shot.

"You idiot! Why did you do that?" shouted Murky, furious. He watched the black bullet ricochet off the rocky walls and head straight for him. He started to dive, but it was too late. The bullet smacked into his backside, and he collapsed to the stone floor. As the liquid concoction was absorbed into his skin, he lost all control of his thoughts. The grey rainbow disappeared, dropping Stormy to the ground.

Stormy rose to her feet quickly, rushing to Murky's side when she realized that he was in a daze. Her small hands unfastened the Color Belt quickly, tugging it from his side. He didn't seem to notice or care that she had taken it. He looked up at her blankly. She had no idea how long he'd be caught in his own trap.

"Stormy, you're back!" shouted Lurky happily. "Can I play with your horsey now?"

She turned without answering him. She knew what she had to do. She folded the Color Belt neatly in her hands, and walked back to Skydancer's side. If she hurried, she might be able to make it to Rainbow Land before the sun rose. "Let's go, Skydancer," she called as she settled atop him.

"Wait, Stormy! We should play first before you go! And you shouldn't take the Color Belt. Murky needs that you know."

Yes, she knew that all too well. Fortunately, she also knew that Lurky wasn't a threat in the least and that she owed it to him for finishing the duel between the two of them. Murky would surely yell and rant later on when he figured out what had happened, but she didn't mind. Without the Color Belt she knew that he stood no chance against her.

The sprites who stood guarding the entrance to the Color Cave yawned. Night was beginning to fade, and they knew the sun would rise soon. Everyone inside the Color Cave was asleep finally. It had been a long night, but they had finally laid down to rest barely an hour ago. Red Butler had gathered a group to take turns watching for Murky or Stormy.

One sprite, a bold red one, turned to his companion and told him not to fear. The other sprite, a timid green one, nodded and was calmed by the assertion that surely neither of the two would show their faces after everything that had happened. He turned his face to the sky and smiled. It wouldn't be too long until he could see the sunrise streaking across the sky. He frowned when he saw a shadow appear and then swoop toward them. Enemy!

He shook, knowing that he needed to go raise the alarm, but his feet would not allow him to move. His fellow sprite urged him to do so while he held off the girl. They both knew it was not Murky, for Murky had never been able to fly. As the shadow came closer, it dropped something in front of them. It did not slow or stop, but continued on its path back into the sky.

Curious, both sprites rushed forward to inspect what had fallen. They gasped in surprise when they saw it was the Color Belt. It was still grey and murked out from Murky's tinkering with it, but it was still the Color Belt. They picked it up and dashed inside before Stormy could return and change her mind.

From high in the sky, Stormy watched them rush into the Color Cave. She felt a bit lighter inside, though a heaviness still hung over her heart. Her eyes drifted over the edge of the rocky cliff, toward the debris of the Color Castle. Light was just beginning to fill the sky. Light would erase the darkness of the night, but it could not erase the things she had done. With a heavy heart, she realized she had no place to go. She could not return to the Pits again, and she could not stay here. The only place meant for her was the clouds. She headed for cover, disappearing from sight.

"…And she just dropped it? Just like that?" Red Butler stared at the sprites in disbelief. He could not believe that Stormy had returned the belt. "Are you sure she didn't just drop it by accident.

The sprites insisted that it had not been an accident. They told of how she had not turned around or tried to retrieve the Color Belt after it had been dropped. They told of how she had helped them in return for the help they had given her. Red Butler shook his head at their sense of trust.

"What does this mean?" asked Canary Yellow.

"Perhaps she is attempting to change her ways," suggested Lala Orange.

"I doubt that," replied Buddy Blue. "She destroyed the Color Castle. She helped take the Color Belt in the first place by winning that race. She can't be trusted!"

"I agree with Buddy," added Patty O'Green. "Why would she suddenly do this? I bet it's a trap!"

Shy Violet had been listening to the conversation as she inspected the Color Belt. Under Murky's control, it had still been fully functional, even though it lacked color. She would have to return it to its proper colorful state, which would most likely reverse the polarities.

"Can it be fixed?" asked Indigo, kneeling next to her.

"I believe so. I believe that using the proper star sprinkles would reverse whatever Murky has done to it," she stated. "Twink, bring me a few star sprinkles of each color."

"Right!" The sprite dashed off to another part of the Color Cave, returning within moments. He carried a small basket in his hand. "Here you go!"

"Thank you." She took the basket and dumped it onto the floor next to her. She did not know if her theory would work, but all theories had to be tested at some point. She sorted the pile of star sprinkles by color. Carefully, she picked up the red star sprinkles. Holding her breath, and knowing the other Color Kids were watching, she pressed her hand to the Color Belt.

A few seconds passed, but nothing happened. She could tell that her friends were beginning to lose hope. Then, suddenly, the red star sprinkles were gone. The belt had absorbed them, and a flash of red was seen. The Color Belt appeared to be less grey, though no color could be seen.

"Do yellow now!" shouted Twink. The Color Kids all nodded in agreement.

Shy Violet picked up the yellow star sprinkles and held them to the Color Belt. Once again, it was a few seconds before the yellow was absorbed. This time there was a flash of yellow, and a pale bit of color appeared on the Color Belt. Encouraged by this, Shy Violet continued her task, moving through each color of star sprinkles.

Holding the violet ones, the very last in rainbow order, she pressed them to the Color Belt. They too were absorbed. With one last violet flash, the Color Belt was restored to its original colors. The other Color Kids couldn't help but grin and cheer. Rainbow would have her Color Belt for use when she was well again.

Rising to her feet, Shy Violet folded the Color Belt and took it to Rainbow's bedside. She placed it near her head as Twink walked into the room. "Are you sure you should do that? What if Stormy comes back to take it? Or even Murky?" He gulped at the thought.

Shy Violet was certain neither would come so quickly, but she didn't say that to Twink. "Why don't you stay in here and guard it? I know you'll alert us if anything happens," she whispered. She didn't dare disturb Rainbow.

"I can do that!" replied Twink in a fervent whisper.

She left him sitting next to Rainbow. Having him watch over the Color Belt would help keep him at ease. When she returned to the room in which all of the Color Kids were to be resting, she found quite the opposite story. Everyone was talking, sleep forgotten.

"Please, everyone. We must rest for now. We've been up and working far longer than we should. If you do not rest and let your body recharge, you'll only become weaker. If Murky or Stormy return, you won't be able to help keep Rainbow safe."

This solemn statement quickly stopped any and all conversations that were taking place. The Color Kids looked to her. Red Butler was the first to reply.

"She's right! We can't let those two win again! They've already caused enough trouble."

"But I feel so awake right now," replied Patty O'Green. "I don't think I can sleep at all."

"Yes, me too," added Canary Yellow.

"I feel like I've just run my morning miles," said Buddy, throwing in a comparison. "Like I'm full of energy."

"And I feel like I've just finished acting out a play," answered Indigo.

"Please try to sleep. You're only running on the adrenaline rush from seeing the Color Belt fixed. That energy will soon disappear, and you'll all feel tired again," explained Shy Violet patiently. She had to get them to rest again.

A sprite came into the room and tugged on Shy Violet's sleeve. He motioned for her to lean closer, and then he whispered into her ear. She smiled at his words. "Yes, that would work. Please do that." The sprite nodded and left.

"What did he want?" asked Canary Yellow.

"You'll see. Lay down and close your eyes."

The Color Kids did as they were told. They heard the pattering of many sprite feet enter the room. There was a moment of silence before a beautiful sprite lullaby filled the room. The Color Kids listened intently. Each chosen sprite was gifted when it came to singing, and it wasn't long before everyone, including Shy Violet, had fallen into a much needed slumber. They dreamed of a rebuilt Color Castle, and days spent with Rainbow. They dreamed of picnics and parades and games of catch. They dreamed of monitoring the land and spreading rainbow cheer. They dreamed of everything as it had been before Stormy, and as it should be once Rainbow was well again.


	29. Generous Offer

**Chapter 28 Generous Offer**

Days passed in Rainbow Land. There was no sign of Murky or Stormy to be found. The Color Kids and sprites were skeptical at first. They believed it to be a trap of some kind and were cautious and careful at every turn. As time wore on, they began to relax and focus on the job of cleaning up the site of the old Color Castle. Plans were already being drawn up to rebuild the Color Castle, making it better than before. Spirits were high, and everyone pitched in.

Rainbow watched over the progress, unable to be of much help. She had woken the day the Color Belt had been returned. She was confused at first, unable to remember the chain of events that had caused all of her injuries. The Color Kids had taken turns filling her in on Stormy's tornado and the destruction of the Color Castle. They had seen the heartbreak in Rainbow's eyes upon hearing that news. She didn't believe them. The Color Castle couldn't be destroyed like that.

With the help of Buddy Blue and Red Butler at either side of her, they had taken her to the edge of the road that overlooked the Color Castle. Rainbow had fallen to her knees, shocked beyond belief. Tears had welled up in her eyes and she had broken down. Her sobs forced the Color Kids to look away, each fearing that they might cry too. It was a disheartening sight to see the brightest structure of Rainbow Land destroyed and in ruin.

Even though they each felt as Rainbow did, the Color Kids worked to cheer Rainbow up when they weren't working. Shy Violet would show her the new plans for the next Color Castle. Red Butler performed magic tricks. Buddy Blue showed off his newest weight lifting skills with Champ. Canary Yellow performed her favorite dances. Patty O'Green shared some of her best jokes. Lala Orange brought her flowers. Indigo performed poetry. Rainbow smiled a little more with each kind act.

Now she sat overlooking the cleanup. "Good work, everyone!" she would tell them as they broke for lunch. Though she had been shaken at first, she was positive that everyone could all move forward. They would soon have a new Color Castle, and then they'd be able to continue their work on spreading more color and happiness.

"Great job sprites!" echoed Twink. He had not left her side ever since she'd awoken. He seemed afraid to lose her again, and figured that it was his duty to offer protection whenever he wasn't instructing the sprites in their work.

Meanwhile, in the Pits, Murky was quite the unhappy fellow. "I can't believe you bungled that up!" he shouted, throwing yet another book at Lurky. He had continued to rant and rave on the ruining of his plans after the concoction had left his bloodstream.

"I'm sorry, Murky. I was just bringing you your gun," replied Lurky as he ducked. He wasn't sure how many books Murky had to throw, but it sure was an awful lot.

"You didn't need to interfere! I was winning! I had her right where I wanted her too!" Another book, this one a thick volume, was thrown at his head. "And then you had to mess things up. Why do you always have to mess up my plans?"

"I didn't—"

"Get out of my sight!" roared Murky. He watched Lurky scamper out of the room quickly. He could not stand to be around his minion now.

Turning back to his table, he cleared a space. All of that planning. All of that careful planning. It had all been for nothing in the end. He had worked for so long to train the perfect person to oppose Rainbow and in the end, that person had rebelled against him. If only he had—No. He would not dwell on the mistakes he had made. He could still get her back, couldn't he?

But without the Color Belt, how would he do that. The Color Belt had given him equal footing with her. Unless he was able to create a new weapon that would be able to stand up to her storm powers, he would be doomed to fail. He was not sure he could handle another failure on his head. Whatever he chose to do, it would take some careful planning. He pulled a notebook to him and began to jot down ideas.

Hours later, he found himself even more frustrated than when he began. "Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!" he muttered, tearing yet another page from the book. He crumpled it up and tossed it over his shoulder. Nothing he sketched seemed to have any merit at all. It was either unable to disarm Stormy or simply undoable all around.

Perhaps he needed time to simply think. He hopped down and left the laboratory, closing and locking the door behind him. He didn't need the bumbling idiot trying anything to make up for his mistakes. He passed said bumbling idiot in the hallway, though he said not a word. He entered his bed chamber, slamming the door behind him.

Stormy watched the cleanup of the Color Castle from afar. She dared not get closer than necessary. She did not want to fight any of the Color Kids or Rainbow. She did not want to cause any more destruction. Part of her was glad to see that Rainbow was awake and wearing the Color Belt. At least she had corrected some of her mistakes.

Skydancer nudged her from behind, still concerned for her well-being. She had not spoken much in the past few days, nor had she ridden him like she used to. She simply lay around the clouds, lost in thought. He did not know what to make of her pain and sorrow.

She patted his muzzle. "I'm sorry, Skydancer. I just don't feel like doing much." Skydancer gave her backside a gentle push. She laughed softly and rubbed his side. "We'll ride later, all right?" She moved away from the edge of the cloud, and lay down near the center. Time would pass and they would forget what she had done, right? People forgot all the time… she forgot all the time. She wished she could remember what life was like before Murky. It seemed as though there had been more. She closed her eyes, drifting off as she tried to discover those lost memories.

When she opened them again, she found Skydancer standing over her. He snorted, blowing warm air into her face. She groaned and turned over. Skydancer merely leaned over and nudged her shoulder. Stormy realized that she could not stay in the cloud forever. Skydancer required food, and she was feeling hungry as well.

Stormy made sure to keep hidden in the forest. There she could at least find a bit of fruit. She wasn't sure how else to survive. She didn't know how to fish, or that she could catch fish to eat. She wasn't even sure the berries were safe to eat, or that they could make her sick if they were poisonous. No one had taught her survival skills. Murky had had Lurky take care of everything. She watched Skydancer grazing nearby.

She jumped when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She whirled around, defenses up. She discovered Rainbow, smiling happily at her. Up close, she could still see the small cuts and scratches across Rainbow's exposed skin. Immediately she was reminded of that night in detail once again. Stormy turned around, crossing her arms. "What do you want?" she asked coldly. She wasn't pleased at all to recall the events.

"Why are you out here alone?" asked Rainbow. She wasn't deterred by the girl's mannerisms.

"I'm not alone. I have Skydancer."

Rainbow frowned. "You live with Murky, don't you? Did he capture you?"

"What does it matter to you?" She began walking away. "Come on, Skydancer." Skydancer stopped grazing and began to follow his mistress. Stormy did feel bad about the trouble she had caused, but not enough to make pleasant conversation to the person she'd nearly killed.

"I know what you did," called Rainbow. "You brought back my Color Belt."

Stormy spun around quickly. "How did you know that?" she asked.

Placing a finger to her cheek, she grinned. "A little sprite told me." When she caught Stormy's glare, she lowered her finger. "You know, I don't think you're evil like Murky. I think he tried to make you that way. You've got some good inside your heart."

"I don't," Stormy replied tersely. Inside, she felt something begin to bubble. She couldn't explain it, but the longer she was around Rainbow, the angrier she felt. Rainbow couldn't know how she felt, or how she felt about not belonging. There wasn't a place for her. She belonged in the clouds, and that's where she was meant to stay.

"You should stay with us."

She couldn't help but laugh. She didn't deserve to stay with them. Rainbow was only doing it because she felt bad for her. Stormy climbed on to Skydancer's backside. "I won't," she called. Her foot tapped lightly against Skydancer's side. The pair disappeared into the clouds.

As she watched them go, Rainbow wondered what Stormy would do. She knew that the Color Kids wanted nothing to do with the girl that had destroyed the Color Castle and nearly killed her. Red Butler was still quite angry from the events. She also knew that Stormy was good deep down, even if she denied it herself. She wouldn't have returned the Color Belt otherwise.

She had not counted on Stormy being so stubborn though. Rainbow wanted Stormy to stay with them. Since Stormy could control the weather, her powers could be useful in helping to spread color and happiness. If Stormy used her power to create rainfall, they would be able to help certain areas of Rainbow Land grow much better. She was sure that the other Color Kids wouldn't mind Stormy once they forgave her.

"Rainbow? What are you doing all the way out here?" Twink stepped forward, hands on his hips. It had taken him awhile to locate her.

"I was just taking a walk, and I found Stormy here."

"Where? I don't see her," remarked Twink as he looked around.

"She's gone now. I was just trying to see if she'd join us in Rainbow Land."

Twink looked surprised. "What? Why? She nearly—"

"I know what she did, Twink, but I know she feels terrible about it. I think she regrets what she did now," explained Rainbow patiently. She wasn't sure why her friends could not see it in the same way that she did.

Twink shook his head. "I think you've been walking too long. Stormy doesn't belong in Rainbow Land at all. She'd only destroy it again." He turned and began walking back to the site where the new Color Castle was being constructed.

Not one to argue for too long, Rainbow followed her sprite back. She glanced over her shoulder at the grey cloud nearby. She knew that Stormy was there. She knew that the girl would not come down unless absolutely necessary. She also knew that she wanted Stormy to find a place in Rainbow Land.

Stormy paced back and forth in the cloud. She was stirred up from speaking with Rainbow. Still unable to explain what she was feeling, she wondered just why Rainbow would want her. She didn't need Rainbow Land. She didn't need Murky. She could do whatever she wanted. She looked down at her hands, and felt the energy flowing from them. She was capable of creating any kind of stormy weather she liked.

Skydancer watched his mistress exert her anger. He nickered softly, but kept his distance. Thunder rumbled softly in the cloud, but this did not bother him. He knew what would come next.

"Out of all the things… she doesn't want me! I bet it was a trick all along!" Stormy kicked at the cloud. "Why, I can do whatever I want, and she could deal with it. I could have killed her if I wanted! I could have!"

When she looked at Skydancer, he caught a glimpse of something that he was certain wasn't truly Stormy. Her horse could only watch as her anger became pent up. She shouted and clenched her fists. This only caused the thunder to increase and as she began to jump, the lightning struck from the cloud. He could only watch as it hit a tree far below, and sent it swirling into flames.

"See?" Stormy looked down at her handy work. "I can destroy. They bring color. I bring darkness and storms. I can do what I want. No one's gonna stop me!"

In the Pits, Murky was just waking from a short nap. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he grinned. His dream had shown him what to do to get Stormy back. He was certain the plan would work too. All he would need to do is involve that stupid Rainbow brat, and he'd have a master plan of action in no time.

Leaping from his bed, he raced for his laboratory. He pulled a notebook and pen to him and began to scribble his notes. Furiously he wrote, making sure to get down every last detail before he forgot everything. His pen danced angrily across the page, making thick, bold marks. When all was said and done, he looked at it in all its glory and grinned. This time, he would win. His hard work would not go to waste. "Lurky!" he screeched. "Lurky, get in here this instant! Lurky!"

The loud bumbling sounds in the hallway told him that Lurky hadn't been very far away at all. He strode through the door, a rolling pin in hand. "Yes, Murky?"

"Lurky, why do you—Oh never mind!" Murky wasn't sure he wanted to know what Lurky had been up to. Most likely it had involved cooking yet again. "Get the Grunge Buggy. We're going for a ride."

"I like rides. Are we going someplace nice?"

"No! Rainbow Land is not a nice place. It's a disgusting place full of colors. We're going there and we're getting Stormy back. I've got a plan and it's sure to work."

"Can we take a ride after we get Stormy back?"

"No! Just go get the Grunge Buggy and meet me out front." When Lurky left the room, Murky began looking over his selection of potions instead. He quickly found one of his strongest variants of the gloom potion he had always used on Stormy. He decided that once he caught her, he'd have to take immediate action to control her behavior. He couldn't risk failure anymore. Once Stormy was back in the Pits, he could retrain her to destroy Rainbow Brite wouldn't destroying him in the process.

"You wait, Storm brat. I'll get you back if it's the last thing I do!"


	30. Last Chance

**Chapter 29 Last Chance**

Red Butler wiped the sweat from his brow as he moved a particularly heavy piece of debris. Perhaps a few more days, and the site would be completely cleared. He knew that some of the sprites had been gathering materials together for the new Color Castle. Of course, it would most likely take at least a season before everything was built. He looked forward to the day when he could focus on using his red star sprinkles to brighten colors once again.

"Hey, Buddy can you help me with this board?" Red gestured to a long, broken piece of lumber.

"Sure thing!" Together, the two boys moved the wood away from the site, taking it to some of the red sprites. These sprites were sawing down the old pieces, which would then be used to make other things.

"Okay, everyone. I think that's enough for today," called Rainbow, appearing from the woods. She looked over her shoulders, noticing the darkening sky. She knew that it had to be Stormy. "Let's rest and then head back to the Color Cave."

Every Color Kid was more than happy to hear that news. Once they moved away from the site of the destruction, each Kid typically plopped down exactly where they stood. They were all exhausted from the day's labor.

"Is this ever going to end?" groaned Lala Orange. "I don't think I've worked so hard before, not even when I was sewing new outfits."

Patty O'Green lay sprawled onto the ground next to her. "I can't even think of a good joke right now."

"We'll be finished soon enough," spoke up Canary Yellow. She tried to put a positive spin on things. "We'll have a new Color Castle soon, and it will be even better than before."

"She's right," agreed Rainbow. "It won't be long. We just all have to be patient and work hard. We'll have a new Color Castle in no time. Shy Violet made some wonderful new designs. We can look at them in the Color Cave."

This statement seemed to cheer the Color Kids up a bit, and everyone rose to their feet. The trek back to the Color Caves wasn't long, though it seemed that way after a day's hard work. The sprites greeted them with a delicious meal, and most of the complaints were forgotten for the time being. Rainbow was pleased. She knew it was tough, but that they'd all make it through in the end. As she looked around the table, she watched her friends talk and chatter. With the work done, they were more than happy to play the rest of the day away.

In the meantime, Murky had made his way to Rainbow Land. "Look at this! No one's around, or even nearby. This will be perfect."

"What will be, Murky?" asked Lurky, looking over his shoulder.

"My wonderful plan to get Stormy back. I will—hey watch the road banana brain!" He reached out frantically, climbing over Lurky to get to the steering wheel. He jerked it quickly, turning them back onto the road.

"Sorry," apologized Lurky. "Do you think it will work out?"

"Of course it will! It's too good not to!" Murky rubbed his hands together in glee. "Now drive faster! I can just see the edge of the Color Castle rubble."

Thick, black smog belched from the exhaust of the Grunge Buggy as it flew over the dirt path and past the sprite homes. These were nearly empty, most of the sprites in the Color Caves with Rainbow. The few that were left ran away in fear.

_If I'm lucky, one of them will run off to the Color Cave and alert Rainbow to my plan. She'll have no choice but to come and investigate._ He reached for one of his bottles of gloom potion, and tipped it over into a round canister. He would be ready for her. Glancing up at the sky, he noticed the dark clouds. Stormy was near too. Perfect.

Lurky swung the Grunge Buggy around, bringing it to a screeching halt. Murky jumped out and studied the mess the Color Kids had cleaned up so far. He noticed a discard pile to the far right and gestured to it. "Lurky, start throwing that trash back onto the large pile."

"But Murky, I think they were getting rid of that stuff. I don't think they—"

"That's the point! We're making a mess for them all over again to clean up."

"How does this help us with Stormy?"

"Just do it!" shouted Murky angrily. Sometimes he wished that Lurky would get the point a lot sooner. He watched as Lurky complied, tossing a large board back onto the pile.

Crossing his arms, he looked up to the Color Caves, smirking. There seemed to be a commotion up there, and it wouldn't be long before Rainbow arrived. Within seconds, there was a large puff of dust being kicked up, no doubt Rainbow on Starlite.

"Here she comes, Lurky. Just like I planned." He pulled the canister from his pocket and placed it behind his back.

"Murky Dismal! What are you doing?" shouted Rainbow as she rode up on Starlite.

"Yes, I do believe you should be on top of that trash pile, you know," added Starlite, pawing the ground.

"Go away, Murky!" shouted Twink. "You don't belong here."

"I believe that you shouldn't fix the Color Castle. It would like better with a much gloomier décor," stated Murky calmly, moving closer to Rainbow.

"I don't think so, Murky. You need to go back to the Pits where you belong." Rainbow reached behind her. "Twink, I need some star sprinkles."

"Right!" called Twink.

Murky grinned. Just as Twink began searching his pouch, he pressed a small round button hidden on the canister. He quickly tossed the can directly at the trio. Starlite reared back as it landed at his feet, immediately emitting a dark cloud. Twink dropped the star sprinkles, and grabbed on to Rainbow, who grabbed hold of Starlite's mane.

Within seconds, Starlite's legs gave out from beneath him, and he sunk to the ground. Twink and Rainbow slid from his back, eyes dull. It was all too perfect, as the gloom potion was as strong as what he gave Stormy. Unlike Stormy though, these three had never been exposed to such a high dosage of it all at once.

"What's… the point?" asked Rainbow. "Murky will win… he always does…"

"Star sprinkles don't help… the colors are too bright," muttered Twink.

"Too many horses are more magnificent than me. I cannot compete," stated Starlite.

"I knew it! You can't handle the gloom. Now Rainbow, you'll come with me." Murky looked up at the clouds as Rainbow rose to her feet. He would speak loudly so that Stormy would be sure to hear him.

"Hey! What are you doing with Rainbow?" shouted Red Butler, leading the Color Kids down the path.

Murky hadn't counted on them too quickly. He raced back to the Grunge Buggy and reached inside his compartment. He still had more of the gloom potion. He grabbed the bottle, twisted off the lid and threw it toward them. They ran directly into the cloud, and collapsed into a heap before they could stop themselves.

"This way, Rainbow," shouted Murky. "You'll be mine, especially since Stormy has decided to not play nicely." He cackled as she stepped into the sidecar and stood, waiting for further orders. "Lurky! Let's go! We've got what we came for!"

"Right!" Lurky dropped the large pile of boards in his hands and dashed for the Grunge Buggy.

"Quickly! We wouldn't want anyone to stop us! No one can keep Rainbow from becoming my servant forever!" He moved to the back of the Grunge Buggy as Lurky started it up. "Don't worry about being quick. That gloom potion will last on the Color Brats for a few hours at least. We've got plenty of time."

As Murky had predicted, Stormy had caught sight of the commotion from high in the clouds. She had calmed down from her anger, but was still quite unhappy. She wasn't sure how to process all of the things she was feeling. The commotion below gave her a distraction from it. She knew what Murky would do to Rainbow. Rainbow would lose the Color Belt again, and she'd be treated just like Stormy had been.

"Skydancer! Let's stop Murky!" She easily swung herself up onto his backside. Gripping his mane, she raced him from the clouds, letting loose a large boom of thunder as she rode. She spotted Murky ahead on the road, but he was going slowly. It took no time at all to catch up.

"Well, well, if it isn't Stormy. Come back to me, have you?" asked Murky.

"No way! I've come to get Rainbow."

Murky looked over his shoulder. Rainbow was standing quietly in the sidecar, mumbling to herself. "Oh her? Why?"

"She's not yours to have!"

"Stop the Grunge Buggy, Lurky!" Murky found himself gripping tightly to one of the poles on the frame to keep from being thrown off as Lurky slammed on the breaks.

Stormy released a round of lightning, causing Murky to dance about to avoid being struck. She slid from Skydancer and strode forward. "You'll let her go."

"And if I don't?"

Stormy's only answer was to respond in anger with more lightning and thunder as Murky dashed around to the side of the car. He struggled to grab the other bottle of gloom potion stored there. His hands clasped around the container, and he ripped the top off of it. He tossed the bottle at Stormy.

Her hands quickly flew to her mouth as the cloud spewed all around her. She swayed for a moment, and Murky watched with pleasure. He could have both Rainbow and Stormy, and take over Rainbow Land once and for all. This was better than expected. "That's it, breathe it all in," he muttered with glee.

"It's not going to work, Murky!" shouted Stormy. She stomped her foot, setting off another round of lightning.

"What?"

Stormy smirked. "It's not working on me. What are you going to do now?" She raised her hand to the sky, gathering together a large mass of clouds. The sky darkened, blackness covering everything. Through it all, Stormy concentrated, trying to keep her storm from becoming what it had before. With one gesture of her finger, she pointed toward Murky, and the lightning followed.

Murky could only dash away into the underbrush and try to escape the assault. The lightning was unrelenting, and it wasn't long before Stormy lost sight of him. She looked at the Grunge Buggy, and saw Lurky dashing toward Murky. "Hey Murky! Wait up!"

With those two gone, she went to the passenger sidecar, where Rainbow still waited diligently for the next order. _Is this what I looked like sometimes?_ wondered Stormy. She noted the dull eyes and lack of movement. "Rainbow, let's go back to Rainbow Land."

"Okay. We'll go back to Rainbow Land," agreed Rainbow, climbing out of the sidecar.

Stormy led Rainbow back to Skydancer. She considered getting Rainbow up on her horse, but wasn't sure about it. She wondered if the gloom potion would wear off faster if Rainbow was walking instead. She wasn't concerned with Murky finding them. After all, she'd get rid of him easily. "Skydancer, we'll walk back. Maybe Rainbow will go back to normal." _And then I'm free to go wherever. It's not like they wouldn't blame me for any of this. They were all under the gloom potion, too."_

The walk back to Rainbow Land was a quiet one. It was nearly a mile to cover, and the walk would have been pleasant on any other day. Rainbow walked mechanically, eyes facing forward. She never looked at Stormy, nor Skydancer. The quiet, of course, was fine by Stormy. At least Murky didn't have her, nor would he treat her like he had Stormy. Just the thought of that made her angry again.

Stormy looked over when Rainbow groaned. She saw the other girl hold her head and blink a few times. "What…happened?" she asked. Then she noticed Stormy.

Jumping away, Stormy looked at her defensively. "It wasn't me," she stated angrily.

"I didn't say it was, but I want to know what happened. Will you tell me?"

Stormy waited for a few moments, unsure if Rainbow was telling the truth or trying to trick her. She sighed, and then looked at Rainbow. "Okay, I'll tell you." She then explained Murky's actions, and what he'd done to everyone, including Rainbow. Stormy told of chasing the two off, and getting Rainbow back to Rainbow Land.

Rainbow listened patiently to the story, nodding when necessary. She smiled when Stormy finished her tale. "Oh Stormy, thank you!" she exclaimed, pulling the girl into a hug.

Just as quickly, Stormy tried pushing her away. "Hey don't do that!" She couldn't admit to herself that a small part of her enjoyed the sensation of being hugged, something she hadn't experienced for far too long.

"Won't you come back to Rainbow Land with me? I'm sure everyone will be glad to hear what you did."

"I can't," stated Stormy simply, climbing onto Skydancer's back. She dashed off before Rainbow could say anything else.


	31. A Decision

**Why did I upload the last 5 chapters at once? It's simple. I really just wanted to have the entire story on for viewing. It's been far too long that the story has gone unfinished, and I wanted those of you who have so patiently waited to see this story play out have something wonderful to read. It's the 4th of July weekend, so why not post? Let's let Stormy's past go out with a bang!  
**

**Chapter 30 Decision**

For a time, Stormy stayed far away from the inhabitants of Rainbow Land. She had no place that she felt she belonged. The Pits was not a place for her, as she had come to despise Murky for what he'd done to her. The only good thing about that place was the storms that she could watch and create. On the same note, she also didn't belong in Rainbow Land either. It was the complete opposite of the Pits, and she felt as though she'd done enough damage there with storms.

Instead, she watched from the clouds, quietly observing everything that went on. She traveled throughout Rainbow Land extensively, moving as far from the community as she could. On most days, not a soul would inhabit the other places, and she would lounge about, and think of everything that had gone on.

Night was becoming a particularly rough time for her. Nightmares were all she ever encountered. Sometimes she would dream of places and people she didn't recognize. She saw herself, for example, held tightly in a woman's arms, and did not know why this made her feel safe and loved. She could not understand it. Murky and Lurky often entered her dreams, chasing her. She could never outrun them. She always ended up back in Murky's clutches, unable to free herself. He made sure of that.

Often, she'd wake up, sweating profusely and her heart racing. She would reach out for Skydancer, who would nuzzle her face as she held on tightly. She'd break down in tears, unable to stop herself from crying. She couldn't understand what it all meant, or why she was having the nightmares. If she was away from Murky, then why was he still in her dreams?

These nightmares kept her on guard throughout the day. She would often watch for Murky and Lurky, hoping that she would be able to spot them before they spotted her. She was on edge, and she was tense. She didn't want him to try to find another way to control her, now that his gloom potions wouldn't work. She was glad that they didn't, but wondered what he would try the next time they crossed paths.

Perhaps it was because of the nightmares and the tension that she often moved about from day to day. She would not stay in one place, simply for fear of being spotted. At least with the Color Kids and sprites she did not have to worry about being caught. They would ignore her at all costs. Rainbow was the only one who seemed to show interest in her. It was Rainbow she'd watch for. Rainbow would never try to avoid her.

It was a sunny afternoon during the summer season, nearly a year since the Color Castle had been destroyed. By now, the new Color Castle was nearly complete. The only thing left was the inside, which involved all the décor, wiring, painting, and furniture. However, the Color Kids and Rainbow had been living inside of it, making do with what was available. They were tired of sleeping in the Color Caves, and being so crowded together.

"All right everyone. Let's go for a picnic! I'm sure we all deserve it!" declared Rainbow, setting down her paint brush. She slipped off her smock.

"I'll get the food together!" shouted Canary Yellow.

"And I'll help you!" added both Indigo and Lala Orange.

"Red and I will get all the picnic supplies together," stated Buddy Blue, tossing his smock aside.

"All right then. Shy Violet, Patty, and I will get Starlite and the big cart ready to go. We'll all meet outside shortly."

"I'll help you too, Rainbow!" exclaimed Twink.

With that, everyone split off in different directions to prepare. "Where will we have our picnic?" asked Patty O'Green as they walked outside.

"I was thinking of Orange Meadows this time. The flowers there should be in full bloom, and I know Lala has wanted to show everyone her hard work."

"And this time of year, the pollen over the area is quite diminished," added Shy Violet. "It's a perfect time for picnicking."

"Oh I can't wait to eat all the tasty food!" sighed Twink.

Starlite was more than happy to pull the large wooden cart for the picnic. Rainbow and Patty worked together to hitch the cart to him. It wasn't long before the others returned from their tasks. Between the three of them, Lala, Canary, and Indigo carried three large baskets filled full of food and treats. They made a second trip and returned with large coolers of fruit juice. Buddy and Red carried the blankets, as well as some games for after everyone had eaten. It was going to be a wonderful picnic.

The group set off in high spirits. Starlite pulled the cart while the Color Kids burst into song, singingly loudly during the journey to Orange Meadows. They sang of friendship and rainbows and color, bursting into laughter when Red made silly faces during the songs. Buddy soon tried to compete with him, and no one could decide who had the funnier face.

As the cart rolled across the dirt path in Orange Meadows, everyone quieted down, looking for the perfect spot to pitch their blanket. "Over there!" shouted Indigo, pointing. Her finger pointed to a large grove of trees, which would provide plenty of shade from the hot sun while they ate and talked.

Order was established and each Color Kid worked on setting up. Buddy and Red laid out the blankets. Lala, Canary, and Indigo set out the food, which caused everyone's mouths to water. There were sandwiches and cut vegetables and plenty of fresh fruits. There were even cookies and brownies for dessert. Rainbow unhitched Starlite from the cart and let him run across the meadows to do as he pleased.

Everyone took a seat and dug in to the food. Quiet reigned for the most part while they were busy filling their bellies. Once the initial hunger was gone, chatter started and they continued talking as they had done on the road.

Starlite galloped up behind Rainbow and knelt down. "Rainbow, I spotted Stormy just over the hill on the other side. She didn't notice me."

"I didn't expect her to be here," replied Rainbow, standing and brushing the crumbs from her dress.

"You're not going to bother with her, are you Rainbow?" asked Red Butler skeptically.

"I want to talk to her. I want her to join us in Rainbow Land."

"After what she did?" he continued, wanting more of an explanation. He looked at her, none too pleased with the prospect at all.

"She may have destroyed the Color Castle and nearly me, but she also saved me, twice. Who knows what Murky would have done the second time if she hadn't? I think we owe her a second chance."

"I think Rainbow's right," agreed Indigo. "She did terrible things, but she has helped us too."

Canary nodded in agreement. "She could have changed. Maybe she would help us out sometime."

"According to any calculations I've made, it is viable for a significant change to occur," answered Shy Violet.

"We can at least give her a chance," answered Patty O'Green with a shrug.

"Are you sure, Rainbow?" asked Twink.

"Yes Twink, I am." Rainbow smiled at her friends. "I'll be back soon. Have fun until I come back!"

"Shall I take you there, Rainbow?" asked Starlite.

"Of course. You saw her. Let's be quiet though, so we don't scare her away." She swung up onto his back. Twink looked up at her, but she shook her head. "Not this time, Twink. It's got to be just me."

"Awww…"

Starlite trotted quietly across the meadows, doing his best to follow Rainbow's instructions. His ears twitched this way and that, listening for the sounds he had heard the first time. It wasn't long before he heard the soft voice, and gestured to Rainbow with a flick of his head.

Silently, Rainbow slipped off of Starlite's back and watched Stormy for a moment before creeping forward. She mouthed to Starlite not to follow, and he obeyed, backing up slowly. Rainbow then continued forward.

Stormy had sprawled out across the hill, enjoying the warm sun on her face as she lay beneath a small tree. Skydancer was nowhere to be seen, and Stormy was simply talking to herself. "Maybe if I practiced more, I'd be better with the control. Would that work? It might—"

She sat up quickly when she heard a branch snap behind her. Immediately she began to draw upon her power, thinking that Murky had found her and she'd let her guard down. She was surprised when it was only Rainbow Brite that she saw in front of her. Immediately, she got rid of the gathered clouds, but was still on the defensive. She wasn't sure what Rainbow would do.

Skydancer trotted up behind Stormy, having felt the shift in the weather. He had thought his mistress might be in danger, and had returned to her side. He snorted upon seeing Rainbow, knowing she was a possible threat, but not in the same way that Murky was.

"I just want to talk, Stormy," began Rainbow, holding up her hands. "Won't you listen to me?"

"I don't want to talk," replied Stormy. "Why do you keep bothering me? I'm just trouble."

"Why do you say that?"

"I know what the others say about me. I know what everyone says about me. I'm not wanted anywhere, and I don't need anyone lying to me about that."

"Is this because of what you did?" asked Rainbow.

Stormy glared at her, and she knew she had struck a nerve. "I know you did that. But I also know what you did after that too. And then you saved me from Murky. I don't think that makes you trouble."

"Then what does it make me?" retorted Stormy, her fists clenching.

"I think it makes you a friend. You're not a bad person when you save someone else. I think you're good inside." Rainbow stepped closer. Stormy did nothing to stop her.

"I destroyed the Color Castle. I almost killed you," reminded Stormy coldly. "Ever since I can remember, I've lived with Murky. He gave me that gloom potion and controlled me. But in the end, I am still the one who did everything. You can't change that."

"I can't change the past, Stormy. You can't change it either. You can change your future though."

"Well maybe I don't want to!" shouted Stormy, anger surging.

"I think you do. I'd like you to come to Rainbow Land with us."

"No." Stormy turned away, avoiding the looks that Rainbow was giving her. Rainbow just wouldn't give up in the end.

"You wouldn't have to stay with everyone, you know. But, I did build a room for you in the new Color Castle. It's in the basement area. You'd have your space, and there's room for Skydancer at the stables if he'd like. You're free to come and go, but the Color Castle could be a home."

Stormy still refused to look at Rainbow. She clenched a fist. She didn't want to be forced to stay anywhere, but Rainbow said she wouldn't have to. She would be able to come and go. She would be able to be alone.

"Will you?" asked Rainbow. She wasn't sure if Stormy would agree this time, but she knew she had to try anyway.

"Okay then," answered Stormy softly. "I will."

Rainbow smiled. "I'm glad you will. I—"

"That doesn't mean I'm going back with you. I don't want to talk to them. I know they don't want to talk to me."

"I understand, Stormy. I hope you'll give them a chance later though. I'll come find you when the Color Castle is finished." She turned around. "Starlite!"

Stormy watched the two head back to wherever they'd come from. She looked up at Skydancer. "I guess someone wants us." She patted his flank. "Even though I don't trust most of them, it's better than what we've been doing." Skydancer seemed to nod in agreement.

And as the sun set that day, Stormy had changed the way she would live forever. She would never completely trust the Color Kids, and her stubborn nature would soon become very apparent to Rainbow, but she was a part of the Rainbow Land inhabitants from that day forward. Stubborn as she could be, she would provide assistance after much prompting, and began helping with some of the weather. Once Earth fell under Rainbow Land's care, she was put in charge of the winter and wet seasons, making sure the planet survived and thrived.

Hundreds of years would pass, and much of Stormy's arrival in Rainbow Land would be forgotten by everyone. The Color Kids would forget why they distrusted her, even though they still felt uneasy at times. Stormy forgot much of the small details of her past, save for the terrible things she had done, and what Murky had done to her. Rainbow never forgot Stormy's kind acts, and always thought of these things when Stormy was at her most stubborn.

As for Murky? He never quite gave up on getting Rainbow Land, but he did give up on Stormy. Because he had failed with controlling another being he had captured, he had decided to create his own instead, feeling that that would have better results. It did, for a time, and Monstromurk nearly destroyed everything and everyone. Rainbow and the Color Kids, with some assistance from Stormy, stopped the monster in his tracks. From there, Murky lost his oomph when it came to evil misdeeds, and stuck to small plans to take over Rainbow Land and capture Rainbow. But that is a story for another place and time.


End file.
